Undertale: Reflection
by CelfwrDderwydd
Summary: Who we are inside and outside, are often different. How others see us, and how we see ourselves, can be total opposites, and yet they are linked. A small child fell into the Underground, but, by the Power inside, nothing will ever be the same... "Courage of the Heart is very rare, but it has Power, when it's there."
1. Chapter One: Lost & Found

Disclaimer: The Author does not own Undertale.

 **Undertale: Reflection**

by

CelfwrDderwydd

 **Chapter One: Lost & Found**

 _There is a legend, of a great power. A power so great, it could wreak unfathomable havoc if misused. For this very reason, it was hidden away, in hopes it never be found or used. It was said this awesome power was held in a Magic Mirror . . ._

He gave a soft groan as he came back to consciousness. Soft light caressed his face. The smell of flowers and plants greeted his nose. With a soft moan, he opened his eyes. The forms were hazy and blurred at first, but came back to focus quickly. He stared up at the roof of the cave, and the hole at the very top, hundreds of feet above. Great stalactites hung from the ceiling. His eyes drifted down, and he saw huge pillars of carved stone surrounding him. Ivy and vines wound around many of them. He took a deep breath, the scent of flowers heavy as his hands moved, caressing the soft bed of flowers he laid in. Carefully and softly at first, he sat up. His back didn't hurt, or his neck. He moved his arms, and then his legs. He wasn't paralyzed, or hurt in any way, it seemed. He got to his feet and looked around.

Other than the light from the hole far above his head, the cave was dark. He brushed a strand of brown hair from his eyes. While the cave was dark, it was not so much so he could not see at all. That was good. He carefully stepped away from the bed of flowers, and glanced around. A path seemed to lead away. With no other options, he followed it. He gave the hole one last glance. There were no foot or handholds to speak of, so climbing out was not an option. He frowned softly, thinking for a moment before he turned and followed the path.

He was surprised when he came to stop in front of a large door. Carved pillars were on either side, and above the door was a crest. It was a circle with wings, above three triangles. If he had any doubts about this place being the result of some design, they were erased now. He leaned forward, careful and watchful for any traps. When no blades tried to chop his head off, or fires flared up, he carefully moved through the door. The next room was dark, to the point he could barely see. He moved slowly, carefully and quietly.

" _Howdy!"_ He jumped at the sound of a voice. It was a little high and squeaky. A beam of light suddenly lit up the middle of the room, where a yellow flower was. The flower, of all things, had a face, and was smiling at him. "I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!" it giggled. He just stared and blinked at this strange being. "Gosh, you're new to the Underground, aren't ya?" He carefully nodded. "You must be really confused. Somebody should teach you how things work down here," said the flower. He blinked at that. Before he could speak, the flower tilted its "head" as it spoke further. "Well, ha ha, I guess little ol' me will have to do!" This made him tense up. "Ready? Here we go!" There was a shimmer in the air, and he knew this was not going to end well.

Flowey's grin widened, its petals twitching. "Alrighty, now! Let's get started, shall we?. You look like you have a strong Soul, so that's good! Souls start out weak, but can get stronger. They get stronger with _love_. You want some love, don't you? Don't worry! I'll share some with you," said the flower as small objects materialized in the air. He looked around, every sense telling him this was very bad. "Down here, love is shared through "friendliness pellets". Are you ready?" Those pellets looked anything but friendly. "Try and catch as many as you can! Catch!"

The pellets flew at him with surprising speed. He dove to the side, avoiding the pellets, but his arm brushed against the invisible barrier, proving his earlier guess. He was trapped. Flowey frowned as he dodged the pellets. "Hey, buddy. You missed them. Let's try again, 'kay?" Again, the flower launched a wave of pellets at him, and again he dodged. Again, the flower looked miffed. "Is this a joke? Are you braindead? Run. Into. The. Bullets!" The flower's eyes widened at the gaff. He glared at the flower. "Uh, "friendliness pellets"! Here's some more!" He ducked as they flew right through where his head had been a millisecond ago. The flower growled and began to hiss as its face began to contort with anger. "You know what's going on here, don't you?" the flower asked in a hissing voice that reminded him of dried out leaves and the husks of cicadas.

"You're trying to kill me," the boy answered back. The flower grinned darkly.

"Aw, ya got me! You're pretty sharp, there!" Flowey winked at him, but the gleam in that flower's eye was anything but playful. A huge cloud of bullets appeared, surrounding him in all sides. He glanced around, but looked fairly calm. He looked at the flower flatly as it grinned. " _Die!"_ the flower cackled, sharp teeth showing as it watched the pellets begin to fly.

Suddenly, the pellets all acted like bugs that had been swatted away. Flowey showed shock, just before a fireball flew and smashed into the flower with great force. Flowey growled as he faced something in the darkness. More fireballs lit up the dark, illuminating a powerful form as it launched a volley of fire at the flower, finishing with a blue ball of fire that moved like a plasma bolt. Flowey yelped as it was sent flying into the dark. There was a sigh from the dark as something moved.

"What a terrible, wretched creature, torturing such a poor, innocent child . . ." said a soft voice. He turned at the sound of footsteps, and stared at the being that stepped into the light.

It looked like a fusion of a white goat and a human. Long ears draped down on its shoulders like hair almost. Two horns stood up from the head. While it had small fangs, the air it projected was anything but aggressive. It wore a violet dress with the same crest he has seen above the door earlier. If the voice he had heard was anything to go by, it as a female. Red eyes fixed on him, and he tensed anew. "Don't be afraid, my child. My name is Toriel. I am the caretaker of the Ruins. I come here every day, to see if anyone has fallen down." She looked at him with those red eyes, as if gauging him. "You're the first human to come here in a long time. Come, I will guide you through the Ruins." She stepped back, and walked towards a door on the other side of the room. "This way," she said as she looked back, and then vanished through the door. He hesitated. After that flower, he was on guard. Then again, wasn't he always? Doubt swirled through his mind. What choice did he have? He could not just go back and climb out of the cave.

Come to that, why _was_ he down there? He couldn't remember. It was fuzzy. He remembered everything else just fine, no matter how much he would wish that was not so. If only he had forgotten everything else. He sighed and looked at the doorway. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked through the door. Toriel was waiting for him on the other side.

This room was much brighter, and built of a purple stone he had not seen before. It looked more like a castle mezzanine than ruins. It also looked in fairly good shape, as the stones were a little cracked here and there, but otherwise undamaged. There were red leaves and plants growing here and there, and in a large patch below the stairs that led up to the door. Toriel was silent as she led the way. In the next room, she stopped and turned to him with a smile. "Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins," she said as she walked over to a set of raised stones, stepping on them and pushing them down, revealing them to be pressure plates. She then threw a lever that opened the door. She stepped back and smiled at him. "The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions of diversions and doorkeys," she explained. He nodded.

"Yes. That would make it harder for intruders, who could not simply steal the key," he mused. She smiled and nodded, seeming pleased.

"Exactly. You have a very keen mind, young one." She led him to the next room. "To open the door in this room, you must throw levers. I have painted which ones to use, as I tend to forget," she looked sheepish at that. He felt his lips twitch in a tiny smile at that. Sure enough, the levers in the walls had bright yellow paint around them and arrows. He couldn't help a soft chuckle. Two levers, and they were through. He had noticed spikes retract into the floor as the door opened. He made a note to keep an eye out for any holes in the floor, sealed or otherwise. In the next room, she stopped and turned to him. "As a human living in the Underground, monsters may attack you. You need to be prepared for that situation," she warned. He tensed up again.

He didn't think she would attack him, but he stayed on guard. She smiled at him, seeming pleased he was ready and aware. "But worry not! Most monsters do not want to fight, and the few here that do are small, and you can easily avoid them if you are careful and cautious. If you are nice, you can even avoid fights." The boy gave a soft smile, but there was a sadness there. If Toriel noticed it, she said nothing. "If you _do_ get into a fight, try talking to them. At the very least you can stall for time. You may convince them to not fight. Or even make a friend," she giggled. She smiled and motioned to the next door. He followed. For some reason, his tension had eased. Toriel stopped and turned to him. "There's another puzzle in this room. I wonder if you can solve it?" she had a sing-song tone to her voice, and amusement as she walked ahead.

She was challenging him, he knew. He followed her, noticing a few frogs that, while similar to frogs on the surface, where clearly not normal frogs. One stopped and looked at him, tilting its head. He tried to smile and gave a small wave. To his surprise, the Froggit smiled back, gave a "ribbet" and hopped away. He almost collided with Toriel as she stood in front of what looked like a drawbridge over water. It was covered with huge spikes, as big as his leg. "This is the puzzle, but . . ." She looked at him. The look in her eyes looked familiar, but from where? It wasn't aggressive. She looked back at the field of spikes. "Here, take my hand for a moment," she said as she offered her hand.

He stared and the offered hand, as if the gesture was alien to him. She watched him as he raised his arm. His whole body was trembling. "Don't be afraid, young one," she comforted. He was wavering, his breathing uneven. Inside, he struggled. Could he? Could he do it? Could he _trust_ again? His hand shook heavily as he placed it in hers. Her fur was soft and warm, her touch gentle, tender. The image of her hand began to blur, his eyes stinging. Why? Why was this happening? He looked up at her, and she looked worried. "Don't cry, child. You're safe," she said as she gently wiped his tears with her white sleeve.

Crying? He was crying? His mind swirled as she gently led him towards the bridge. With metallic clicks, the spikes lowered as they passed. It moved in a hazy blur, as if in a dream. "Perhaps puzzles are too dangerous for now," said Toriel as they reached the end. When she released his hand, he wanted to keep hold. Why? What was happening to him? Why was he falling apart? Why? Toriel smiled as she led him to the next room. "You have done excellently thus far, my child." She stopped and turned to him. "However, I have a difficult request to ask of you," she said, sounding a bit sad. "I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this." She then hurried off into the shadows. He gave a shuddering breath as he made his way through the long hall. All the while, his mind was racing, questioning.

Why was he falling apart like this? He had been so cold and detached for so long, so why was he suddenly losing that? What was going on? He didn't notice anything around him as he walked, almost automatically, his mind so deep in thought, he would hardly have noticed if someone spoke. He passed by a large pillar. "Greetings, my child," said Toriel. He whirled, eyes wide. She was startled at his reaction. Had she startled him that much? She looked worried. "Do not worry. I didn't leave you. I didn't mean to-" He shook his head, stopping her.

"No! No, it's not that. I . . ." he shook head his again, and looked at the ground. He ran a hand over his face. He looked at her, and saw her concern. He tried his best to smile. "It's nothing." She watched him for a moment, and smiled back.

"Thank you for trusting me. However, there was an important reason for this exercise. To test your independence." He sighed gently. That was one thing he didn't need to be tested on. Goodness knows. She looked fretful. "I have some business I must attend to, so you will be on your own for a while." He smiled at her. "Please remain here, as it's dangerous to explore on your own." Her ears perked up and she snapped her fingers. "I have an idea. Here, take this cell phone." She reached into a pocket, and pulled out a cell phone. It was of the older kind, the ones now called "Bricks". It was large, and had basic functions, but it would help a lot. "If you have a need for anything, just call. My number is in the memory." He took the phone, and noticed that warm feeling when his fingers touched hers. He looked at the phone, then back up at her. "Be good, and stay safe, all right?" With that, she left.

XXX

He lost track of time as he sat there and stared at the phone, thinking on everything that had happened. He still, for the life of him, not recall how he had gotten there, how he had entered the Underworld. He recalled everything else perfectly, but how he had ended up there was all blank. Had he been kidnapped? Did he go there himself? If so, why? Why could he recall everything else? He looked at his hand, clenched it into a fist. He felt a tiny spark, but nothing more. He sighed and dropped his hand. Why had he expected anything else? He looked back at the phone, and he couldn't help a tiny smile. As he looked at the phone, he could smell her scent. It was a soft scent of flowers, mixed with something else, a sweet smell. He nodded and stood. He had never been one to stand around, and he was not about to start now. He turned to the door and headed through.

He was surprised when the phone rang. He brought it out and pressed the "send" button to answer. _"Hello? This is Toriel."_ He felt a wonderful sense of peace at hearing her voice. _"You haven't left the room, have you? There are some puzzles ahead I have not yet explained. It would be dangerous to try to solve them yourself. Be good and stay safe, all right?"_ She then hung up. He looked at the phone. She was worried and fretful, but something about what she said made his mind click. He gave a soft smile, and wondered if she was testing him again. He glanced around, and saw a few Froggits here and there, and more of the patches of red leaves, but other than that, nothing. He carefully avoided a cracked floor in the next hall.

As he entered the next room, Toriel called him again. _"Hello? This is Toriel."_ She sounded pleased. _"For no particular reason . . . which do you prefer: Cinnamon or Butterscotch?"_ He blinked. Come to think of it, when was the last time he ate? He _was_ a bit hungry. _"Wait . . . don't tell me. Is it Butterscotch?"_ He couldn't help a grin as he told her she was right. She giggled. _"I had a feeling."_ He smiled softly. He had seen and heard far stranger things than that. _"Thank you for your selection."_ She then hung up. He looked at the phone, and smelled it again. He smiled when he confirmed the scent of butterscotch. He had only gone a few steps when the phone rang again. He answered. _"Um, you don't dislike cinnamon, do you?"_ she asked, sounding fretful. It made his heart feel warm.

"No, not at all. I rather like it," he replied truthfully. He had fond memories of the taste of cinnamon in many pleasant meals. Toriel sounded relieved at this.

" _Thank you. That's good to hear. Thank you for telling me."_ Again she hung up, and he was left with more of a smile than before.

There was a large gate that halted him, but a pressure switch and a rock quickly solved that problem. He noticed a few little fairy-like creatures fluttering around, but when he waved at them, they smiled and chattered happily. His smile grew, and he continued on. He was not too surprised when the phone rang again. _"You do not have any allergies, do you?"_ He raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help a grin. She was not good at surprises.

"Not really. Why do you ask?" He had to fight to hide his mirth, lest she know he was onto her.

" _Oh, uh, no reason! No reason at all . . ."_ He smiled at her cute antics as she hung up. He chuckled and shook his head. She was acting very much like a worried . . . The thought hit him like a bolt out of the blue. It was a thought, a person he had not thought about in a _long_ time:

"Mother . . ." he whispered. It had been so long, he hardly could recall. It was almost as hazy as his memories of how he got there.

He was so lost in thought, he almost stepped on someone. Were it not for the sound of snoring, he would have. It looked like a ghost. As he looked, he realized it was pretending to snore, for some odd reason. "Um, excuse me?" he said. The ghost floated up and looked at him. He smiled patiently at it, trying to avoid a fight.

"What do you want?" it asked, sounding depressed. He smiled and shrugged.

"Not much, I just want to _ghost_ this place," he joked. The ghost chuckled a tiny bit.

"Well, what do you think of this, wot?" the ghost asked as it turned the top of its head into a top hat, and grew a monocle and mustache. He couldn't help a laugh. The ghost looked happy at this. "I usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around." The ghost smiled at him. "But today, I met somebody nice. Oh, but I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way." The boy smiled at the ghost.

"Oh, that's fine. Just let me get by, and you can go back to sleep." The ghost smiled again.

"I found this. I don't need it, so why not keep it?" The ghost dropped a bag of coins that clinked. When the boy looked up, the ghost was gone. He picked up the bag, opened it, and was surprised to find it had several gold coins. A good twenty or so. He smiled and put the bag in his pocket and headed on. He stopped when he saw a sign. He carefully read it.

"Spider bake sale?" Would wonders never cease? Well, why not? He took out seven gold coins, and dropped them into the web. Several spiders crawled out, took the coins, and returned with a doughnut with spiderweb-shaped icing and blue frosting.

"Thank you! Enjoy!" they called out in tiny voices. He smiled and waved to them as he took his purchase and left. As he was heading out of the room, Toriel called again.

" _Hello? I just realized that it's been a while since I cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. I'm sorry, please watch your step."_ He chuckled and told her it was fine. She giggled and hung up. He headed onward into the ruins.

After a few more gates and puzzles, he came at last to a tree without leaves, with Toriel waiting at the bottom. She looked surprised, but not entirely. "How did you get here, my child?" she asked as she came up to him. "You're not hurt, are you?" He smiled and shook his head. She looked relieved. "I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this." She stopped and realized she let the cat out of the bag. She smiled and shook her head. "Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Please, come inside!" she said as she headed inside.

It was such a cute, tidy little house. It made him feel happy. Fore some reason, it made him feel calm, and as if it was familiar. He walked inside and closed the door behind him. Toriel looked excited, bouncing on her feet. The wonderful smell of butterscotch was heavy in the air, and the scent of baking goods tickled his nose. "Surprise! It's a butterscotch-cinnamon pie! I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. Here, I have another surprise for you!" She motioned for him to follow her. She led him down a hallway to a door. She looked even more excited than before. "Here it is! A room of your very own! I hope you like it."

He stared at the door in surprise. She gently stroked his hair as he seemed unable to believe what he was seeing. Toriel sniffed the air. "Is something burning . . .?" She looked alarmed. "Um, make yourself at home!" She then hurried down the hall. He watched her go, and then turned back to the door, warily opening it. He stared in amazement at the inside.

It was a room like any child's. A comfy-looking bed sat against one wall, a chest of toys at the foot of it, and two large stuffed monsters sat nearby. A large wardrobe closet sat with the doors closed, the wood ornately carved, but also humble and gentle. A desk held several books and a picture frame. A pair of lamps provided a soft, gentle golden light to the room, making it seem cozy, homey and familiar. He moved as if in a dream. He ran his fingers over the soft bedding, freshly washed. He swayed as he sat on the bed. How long had it been since he slept in a real bed? He had not noticed how tired he was. No sooner had his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

Toriel came in a few minutes later, and smiled. She carefully set the plate of pie down, and gently tucked the boy into bed. With a soft, tender kiss to his hair, she closed the door and turned out the lights.

 **Author's note:** We finally got a high-speed Internet connection, and I was finally able to watch videos and other things impossible over Dial-Up. I had heard about Undertale, and watched some videos, and was awed. I was particularly inspired by the Youtube video _Underfilm: Shadow of the Fallen Child_ by Grubbo. So, if you liked this, be sure to watch his video, and give him kudos. I have tinkered with animation, and I know for a fact it's not easy!


	2. Chapter Two: Determining Destiny

**Chapter Two: Determining Destiny**

 _"We will persevere, my little dear. If we stay Determined, we shall persevere . . ."_ the words echoed in his head, along with the sounds of a crackling fire. He sat up, and glanced around. He was in a comfy room, the lights low. He remembered what had happened. He swung his legs out, and noticed the plate with a slice of pie on it. He stared for a moment, and smiled. He carefully picked it up, and opened the door. He glanced around, and saw no one. He inhaled over the pie, and it smelled delicious. He had to thank Toriel. He set the pie down, and left to find her. Past the front door, he found the living room. He saw Toriel, sitting in a chair, reading a book by a crackling fireplace, and something flashed in his eyes. He saw, for the briefest moment, a woman sitting in a similar chair of carved wood, reading a book in a room lit, not by electric lights, but rush candles. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

Toriel noticed him, and smiled as she marked her place and removed her glasses.

"Up already, I see. I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share with you. I would love to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education." He blinked in surprise as he came closer. She looked a bit sheepish. "This may come as a surprise to you, but I have always wanted to be a teacher." He smiled and shook his head.

"Not at all, but a very good teacher you'd be." She smiled and looked embarrassed. He smiled. Truth be told, he really had no need of an education, but it couldn't hurt to have some refreshers. Even the most keen mind could dull if not used.

"Thank you, my child. I am very glad to have you living here. Oh, did you want something?" she asked. He smiled and shook his head.

"I wanted to thank you. For everything. It's . . . been a while, since anyone has . . . done what you did . . ." He felt steel bands tightened in his chest as he recalled things better left to the dark. She reached down and gently held his hand. He looked up at her as she smiled softly.

"I'm here for you, my child. If you ever need, I am here." Oh, how those sweet words hurt. He felt hotness in his eyes again. Had it really been so long? Had it really been that long since he'd been shown kindness? "Are you all right?" she asked. He looked at her, and for what felt like the first time in ages, he truly smiled.

"Yes . . . Mom." They both froze. He looked horrified. It had slipped out, as if of a will of its own. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" She gently squeezed his hand.

"It's all right. If you it would make you happy to call me "Mother", then I . . ." She stopped, looking like she was fighting emotions of her own. She smiled at him. "I would be honored." He smiled as a single tear ran down his face.

"And you can call me Frisk . . ."

XXX

So, that was how Toriel and Frisk became almost like a mother and son. She showed him the Ruins, and her favorite places. She taught him what kinds of mushrooms were poisonous, which were good to eat and which herbs could make medicines. She also taught him basics like math, reading and history. She was surprised how good he was. It was almost as if he knew it already. That aside, their days were filled with more fun and laughter and happiness than had been in a long time. It might have gone on like this forever, but for one fateful day and lesson . . .

Toriel had been teaching him about the war between humans and monsters. Now, Frisk was a quiet boy, and very rarely asked questions as it was, but she noticed a sharp look to his eye, and a greater quiet from him. She knew him well enough to know that he was concerned about something. Then again, given what she was teaching, she couldn't blame him. If there was one thing she knew about Frisk for certain, it was that he was a kind and caring boy. If only she knew what had been set into motion.

XXX

Frisk sat up, careful not to wake Toriel as he poured over the history books. Something was nagging in his mind. He knew it was there, but where? He slapped another leather bound book closed, set it back in the bookcase, and took another one. If not for his size, one would have taken him for a scholar who was searching for a theorem or important date. Eyes fanned the pages with practiced ease, searching, looking for the right combination of letters.

"It has to be here," he whispered softly. He knew he could find the answer. He closed the book, set it aside and opened another one. He flipped through the pages until he found the chapter he was looking for. His eyes scanned the page carefully, taking it all in. He closed his eyes, sighed, and nodded his head as he placed a book mark and set the book aside. The cover read: _History of the Imprisoning War._ With the first part settled, he now looked for the second. He hefted up a large, heavy book, titled _Man, Myth and Magic._ He set it down and opened it up. This time, he knew what he was looking for and roughly where. His memory was hazy, as he had not thought about it for so long, but sweet, kind Toriel had reminded him. She had done so in so many ways, and he could think of only one way to repay her. "Aha! Here it is!" he chuckled softly as he read the passage:

 _The Mirror of Elde. Legends say that this mirror was created by a great wizard, using many archaic spells, charms, potions and alchemy which was feared even in the ancient world. While the exact nature of the mirror and its magic is unknown, the great power of the mirror was, indeed, known, coveted and feared: To grant any wish of whomever looked into the mirror. For this very reason, it is said, to avert the misuse of this great and terrible power, the mirror was hidden away, where no human being could ever reach it._ Frisk smiled thinly as he read the book. He knew he was right and he knew he had not been crazy when he had sensed it, a great power, laying dormant. He glanced at the book about the War and he frowned softly. He sat back in the chair, his feet not reaching the floor, idly kicking as he thought.

He wanted to stay. He would gladly do so, but she had awakened memories he had thought lost forever. He could not overlook that debt and there was only one way he could repay it. He stood, returned the books to their positions on the shelves and headed back to his room quietly. He carefully wrote a note, being careful, thoughtful and delicate. Once he was satisfied, he crept down the hall and very gently slid the note under her door. He then headed for the stairs at the back of the house.

The tunnel was dark, the stone the same purple color the rest of the Ruins were. His footfalls sounded loud in the tunnel. Small boy or not, each step seemed to echo for miles. Thankfully, the way was clear and only led in one direction. He came at last to a great door, carved with the same crest he had seen several times. He smiled.

" _Oh? You're leaving?"_ He jumped at the voice. He turned, and stared at Toriel. She looked sad. She closed her eyes as she walked past him. "It's always the same. The humans that come here. They fall down. They leave. Then, they die." She stopped and looked at him. "You poor, naïve child. If you leave the Ruins. They . . . Asgore . . . they will kill you." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Don't you see? I'm trying to protect you . . ." Frisk swallowed, but he was not afraid.

"I _do_ know that, Toriel. You have shown me more kindness . . . than anyone has in longer than I can remember," he said firmly, but also with a hint of sadness.

"Then why leave? Is it because you miss your _human_ family?" He could hear the hurt in her voice, even though she did not open her eyes, or move her head. Frisk closed his eyes.

"My human family are **_dead_** , Toriel. And, for so long, my heart was as well. Only now, after what you did, after your kindness . . . your love, do I finally remember it. You cannot know the relief you feel when you go so many years in pain and to finally not hurt anymore." He looked up at her. There were tears running down her muzzle and it broke his heart. She finally opened her eyes and looked at him.

"You won't change your mind?"

"I can't." She sighed at this.

"Then, I have no choice . . ." Frisk was startled when a wind began to blow, and it was not a cold one. Toriel's eyes glowed bright red as she floated a few inches off the floor, her robes fluttering as fireballs appeared around her. "Prove your strength to me. Prove you have the will to survive!" she challenged as a fireball launched at him. He dodged out of the way, but in the narrow hall, it was not easy. He looked at her, startled, but he could see something, just a hint in her eyes. She didn't really want to do this.

 _Fire magic. There's a slight delay between forming a fireball, and it actually moving. I have to take advantage of that gap,_ he thought. He watched as a wave of fireballs formed and flew at him. He crouched and leaped over them. Toriel looked surprised at his agility. Frisk watched her as he readied for her next move, thinking on what to do. There was no way he was going to attack her, none at all. Not only was it suicide, but he couldn't. He couldn't hurt her. He _wouldn't_ hurt her.

"Stop this, Toriel! I won't fight you!" She gave an impassive look as she raised her hand, and launched an undulating firewave. Frisk moved to dodge, and saw how it moved. He dove forward, stood up, and the waves of flame passes harmlessly by on either side. He saw Toriel's right eye twitch. He stared her down. Her lip curled up a tiny bit as she launched another attack, this one, pillars of blue flame that shot up from the floor seemingly randomly. He just barely dodged them, but he did feel a scorch on his pants leg.

"What are you doing? Attack or run away!" she yelled as she launched another wave of fireballs. He leaped over them with greater ease this time.

"No! I won't attack you!"

"Then flee!" she commanded as she launched out a spray of fireballs that then, to his surprise, began to bounce, like rubber balls. He leaped over several, and bounded off a wall over a small wall of them. Toriel looked genuinely impressed for a moment. She closed her eyes and shook her head ruefully.

"What are you proving this way?" she asked. He looked at her, breathing hard.

"I won't stop until I make you listen!" She glared at him, but he could see her fighting herself.

"Listen to what? Your screams as you die? Fight me or leave!" She sent out another volley of fireballs at him, but these, oddly enough, seemed easier to dodge. Was he imagining it? He stared into her eyes.

"Toriel, did you think about how I survived in the human world?! I'm no stranger to monsters, and the ones I've had to contend with look just like any other human!" This finally got a reaction out of her. She actually looked shocked. Had she actually considered it? He saw his opening, and took it. "I know all about survival, Toriel! Believe me! I know what it's like to go hungry for days, even weeks at a time! I know what it's like to get caught out in the rain, or the snow and have no home to dry off or get warm in! I know already what it's like to run from monsters! The human world is full of them! All looking like _humans_!" Toriel closed her eyes, tears running down her face.

"You still don't know anything about this world!" she yelled as she launched another firewave. This time, Frisk didn't move, only held his arms out, as if inviting the flames. Toriel saw this, her eyes wide. _"No! Frisk!"_ she screamed as she moved her hands, the fire parting around him, smashing into the walls and shattering the stone. She ran forward. "Frisk! Are you hurt?!" He looked up at her and smiled.

"I knew my Mom wouldn't wouldn't hurt me." Her lip quivered as she dropped to her knees and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry, my child . . ." He hugged her back. She was silent for a moment. She pulled back and looked at him. "Frisk, that was reckless and stupid. You could have been killed." He smiled sadly at her.

"I've lost count of the times I wanted to die. Man has never imagined such a number before," he said solemnly. She blinked as she stared at the child. His words, they were hardly that of an innocent little child, but they were not evil, either. They were weary. She swallowed as she tried to regain some composure.

"Frisk . . . can we not forget this? Can't we go back upstairs, have some pie, and go back to how things were?" She smiled sadly. "I promise to take good care of you." He saw the pain in her eyes, the ache. It made it all the harder to deny her.

"I can't. I would be ignoring something awful. Didn't you read my note?" Toriel could not look into his eyes. He knew she didn't, but assumed what it said. He touched her face. "You reminded me, of things I had almost forgotten. You awoke something that had been sleeping in me. When I read about the War . . . about the Barrier and the spell . . . I couldn't just do nothing!" She looked up at him in surprise and alarm. He smiled gently as he held her hand. "I promise you I will break the spell and free the monsters. They never deserved this." Of all the things she had expected him to say . . .

"You . . . sweet, naïve child. There is only one way to break the Barrier . . ."

"Not necessarily," he said. She smiled and chuckled.

"What do you know of magic?"

"Enough to know that your Fire Vortex was the Algrian Type, with a Merleno-style swirl. Not a bad choice, I have to say." Toriel stared at him in shocked silence. Frisk grinned and winked at her.

"H-h-h-how? How do you-?" He smiled a little more.

"You shouldn't judge people on how they look on the outside. It's what's on the inside that matters." She chuckled, despite her tears.

"You really are a special child," she said softly. Frisk smiled a soft, but enigmatic smile.

"Aren't all children special?" Toriel looked at him, looked into those beautiful deep blue eyes, and saw a depth of wisdom in them she had never seen in any child before. She sniffled. Frisk smiled as he reached under his striped shirt, and pulled something out. "Here, I want you to have this," he said as he placed it in her hand. It was a large, bronze medallion. The surface swirled with deeply engraved spirals that her eyes could not follow. In the middle of each spiral was a gem. There were seven in all; one pale blue, one deep blue, one yellow, one orange, one purple, one green. In the center, a red gem gleamed from where the spiral lines all radiated outwards from the center. She turned it over, and engraved on the back, were letters the likes of which she had never seen before. She stared at the Amulet and knew that it was far more than a trinket. _"Courage of the Heart is very rare. But it has Power, when it's there,"_ Frisk quoted. She looked up at him. He smiled and closed her fingers over it. "This is very special to me. I want you to hang onto it for me. I promise I'll free the monsters, and come back. I promise, on my Heart, and my Soul." Toriel looked at the Amulet. She held it tightly to her chest.

"My child . . ." Frisk smiled sadly at her tone. He did the only thing he could think of, and hugged her. She stroked his hair lovingly. "Oh, Frisk. Please, I couldn't bear to lose you, too . . ." She was close to sobbing. He nuzzled her and kissed her cheek.

"You won't, I promise." She held him tighter. "I love you, Mom." She fought new tears as she kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Frisk. Please stay safe." Her words, her tears, her love, they filled him with Determination. He reluctantly stood up, wiping his own tears. Toriel stood up, wiped her eyes, and gently put the Amulet on. She brought out a small cloth pouch and gave it to Frisk. "Here. I thought you might be hungry," she said as she handed him the bundle, the sweet scent of butterscotch and cinnamon wafting to his nose. He looked up at her as he held her hand. She sniffled as the doors of the Ruins opened. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and nodded. He smiled at her, patted her hand, and headed for the door. He stopped, looked back at her, and gave her a thumbs up before heading through, the doors slamming shut behind him. Toriel watched the door long after it closed, a few tears dropping onto the Amulet. "Frisk . . . Please come back to me . . ."

XXX

Frisk walked through the dim halls of the Ruins, thinking on everything that had happened. Toriel had done what he thought nobody could do; she had opened his heart. After so long, being so afraid to open up, to trust, to love, to be loved. She had done far more than save his body. She saved his _Soul._

" _Clever. Verrrryyy clever,"_ said a familiar voice. He looked up with a start at Flowey, who gave him a sour look. "You think you're really smart, don't you?" Frisk glared at the flower.

"What do _you_ want, Stinkblossom?" he sniped. Flowey ground its teeth.

"Oh, now _that's_ classy. In this world, it's kill, or be killed. So, you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person." Flowey tittered. Frisk glowered at the flower. "I bet you must feel really great." Frisk raised an eyebrow at this. "You didn't kill anybody, this time. But what if you meet a relentless killer? What will you do then? You'll die! And die and die and die and die." Frisk yawned.

"Are you done with the monolog yet?" Flowey ground its sharp teeth.

"Maybe you'll kill to save your own neck? Maybe you'll kill out of frustration? Or will you give up on this world? And let _me_ inherit the power to control it?" Frisk had finally had enough.

"All right, that's quite enough!" he yelled, surprising the flower. "I have much better things to do with my time than bandy words with a witless weed! Begone! Go thence!" This made Flowey even madder.

"And what if I don't move?" Flowey growled. Frisk's brows furrowed. He took a deep breath, reared back, and roared at the flower:

" _Apage!"_ Flowey yelped as it was blown away with as much force as a gale. Frisk smiled and whistled as he walked on. "Looks like I've still got that old Black Magic . . ." he chuckled as he left the Ruins.


	3. Chapter Three: Them Bones

**Chapter Three: Them Bones**

Frisk was surprised when he exited the Ruins into snow. He looked around, and saw trees, snow, everything he would expect to see in places like the Alps, or the Sierras in winter. He looked back and forth as he followed a long path through the skeletal trees and snow. He heard the crunch of snow every now and then, but he didn't outwardly react. He knew very well he was crossing into more dangerous territory. He knew that Toriel was right, and after the War, many monsters would not have a positive view of humans. Come to that, he didn't, either, for the most part.

He came to stop near a small bridge with odd wooden beams over it. He glanced around, about to move, when he heard snow crunch behind him, and knew someone had followed him.

" _Human . . . don't you know how to greet a new pal?"_ the voice asked. It was male, and while deep, it was not the most baritone voice he had ever heard. " _Turn around and shake my hand,"_ said the voice. Frisk slowly turned to the shadowy figure, who was only a little taller than he was. The figure offered their hand. Frisk knew he was taking a chance, but if things turned sour, whoever this was would quickly find out he had a few tricks up his striped sleeves. Frisk grasped his hand, and the sound of a whoopee cushion echoed in the forest. The figure chuckled as he stepped forward, revealing himself to be a skeleton, wearing a blue jacket. "The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick! It's always funny!" Frisk couldn't help a bit of a chuckle.

"Yeah, until the other guy gets a hold of you, then you're _boned_." Frisk wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a rimshot, somewhere. The skeleton laughed.

"Good one! So, you're a human, right?" Frisk.

"Nope, I'm a hairless ape that escaped from the Crazy House of Bananas."

"Haw! Nice one! I'm Sans. Sans the Skeleton. I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now." Frisk tried not to show it, but he tensed up a bit, ready to run if need be. Sans shrugged. "But, y'know, I don't really care about catching anybody. Now, my brother, Papyrus, he's a human-hunting _fanatic_. Hey, actually, I think that's him over there." Frisk groaned at the idea of more running, or another fight. Sans seemed to notice, and grinned. "I got an idea. Go through this gate thingy. Go right through, my brother made the bars too wide to stop anybody." Frisk couldn't help a smile. Maybe he really could get through this without another fight. He hoped so. Sans motioned to follow. He stopped and pointed at an odd lamp, sitting out in the snow. "Quick! Behind that conveniently-shaped lamp!" Frisk heard footsteps, and didn't argue, no matter how silly it seemed. He hid behind the lamp, and, sure enough, it hid him from view. He watched as a much larger skeleton in armor cam running up. "S'up, bro?" Sans asked.

"You know what "s'up", brother! It's been eight days, and you still haven't recalibrated your puzzles! You just hang around your station like a lazy-bones! What are you even doing?!"

"Staring at this lamp. It's pretty cool. Wanna have a look?" Sans asked. Papyrus, for there is no one else it could be, began stamping his foot angrily.

"No! I don't have time for that! What if a human comes through here?! I want to be ready, do you hear me?!"

"Say what?" Sans said, feigning that he couldn't hear.

"I said I want to be ready!"

"What? You want to go steady? Who's the lucky lady?"

"Arrgh!" Frisk stifled a giggle at this. "I must be the one to capture a human! All my dreams are riding on it! Then, I, the great Papyrus, will get all the things I deserve in life!" Frisk was fighting hard not to break out laughing. These two were insane, and hilarious.

"Well, maybe this lamp will help you," said Sans. Frisk tensed, wondering if Sans was selling him out. If that was the case, he would gladly find some hungry dogs, and toss the skeleton to them.

"You're not helping, dammit! All you do is sit around all day and boondoggle! You get lazier by the day! I swear, the snails outrun you!" Sans smiled at his brother.

"Hey, take it easy. I've got a ton of work done today. A skele-ton!" Sans snickered.

"Sans! By Hell's gates you're not helping!"

"Oh come on. You're smiling." Papyrus growled and crossed his arms.

"I am and I hate it." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his . . . well, where he _would_ have a nose. "Why must one as great as I have to struggle to get some recognition?"

"Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself-"

"Don't say it!"

"To the bone?" Frisk asked. Papyrus screamed and held his head.

"Ugh! Even the trees are making fun of me! That's it! I'm going to attend to the puzzles." Papyrus turned to leave. "As for your work, why don't you put a little more _backbone_ into it! Ha!" With that, he left.

"Okay, you can come out now," said Sans. Frisk came out and wiped a tear, snickering. Sans grinned at him. "You ought to get going. He might come back, and if he does . . . you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes." Frisk snickered again.

"All right, thanks, Sans." Frisk turned to leave.

"Actually, hate to bother ya, but you think you could do me a favor?" Frisk looked back at him. "See, my brother's been kind of down lately. He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day." Frisk made a face that quite plainly said: _You want me to do what?_ Sans shrugged. "He's not dangerous or anything. He should be up ahead somewhere." With that, Sans was gone. Frisk sighed as he headed further into the forests. He knew this wouldn't be easy, or quick when he started this quest. Nothing for it but to get into it.

Frisk looked around as he walked down the path.

"Ice to meet you!" said a monster that jumped out, trying to look a bit scary, but it more looked funny. It looked like a bird of some sort, with some kind of odd crest over its face.

"Same here, but I'm just slip-slidin' away!" Frisk retorted as he slide a little bit on the icy path. The monster laughed.

"Good one, but your delivery was a little cold!" Frisk chuckled at that. "Ha! Laughter! Dad was wrong! I can make 'em laugh good as anybody!" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Of course. You just have to practice. Here, take this," said Frisk as he gave the monster a small notebook he had been keeping. "Write down any jokes you come up with, so you don't forget them." The monster looked awed.

"Thanks, buddy! This'll help a ton!" With that, the Snowdrake flapped off. Frisk smiled, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. As he walked on, he realized how long it had been since he genuinely laughed. It was hard to laugh when your were so miserable.

Frisk was so drawn into his own thoughts, he didn't notice anyone on the path until he heard voices.

"So, as I was saying about Undyne," said Papyrus as he turned from Sans, and spotted Frisk.

 _Uh oh,_ Frisk thought. Papyrus looked back to Sans, then back at frisk, then back to Sans several times.

"Sans! Oh my god! It that really a . . . a _human_?!"

"Dunno, looks like some crazy hairless ape to me, but it might be," replied the smaller skeleton.

"Oh my god! I did it! I finally did it! Wait till Undyne hears about this! I'll be so popular!" Papyrus cleared his throat and looked at Frisk. "Human! You shall not pass this area! I, the great papyrus will stop you!" Papyrus danced around, looking excited. "I will capture you, deliver you to the capital and then . . . then . . . ah, well . . ." The skeleton stopped and scratched his chin. "What comes after that?" Frisk wanted to slap his forehead. This was getting ridiculous. "In any case, continue only if you dare! Nyah ha ha!" with that, Papyrus ran off.

"Well, that went well, don't ya think?" said Sans. Frisk looked at him, wondering if they both were playing a joke on him, or if they were working together to try and lure him into a trap. No, if that was the case, Sans could have captured him easily enough when they first met. Sans seemed to sense his misgivings, and chuckled. "Don't sweat it, kid. I'll keep an eye socket out for ya!" With that, Sans was gone again, and Frisk was left to ponder. Sans and Papyrus were clearly crazy. Then again, that was a relative term. He was shocked when his cell phone rang. He picked it up.

" _Oh, um, ah, er, hello. I'd like to, ah, order a pizza. Please?"_ the voice was clearly female, but not one he recognized. _"The toppings are, uh . . . I have them copied, I'll just paste them to you."_ Since the phone was too old to receive texts. It read out loud, character-by-character, an ASCII art of, what Frisk thought looked like . . . Oh, goodness! He quickly hung up, feeling his cheeks burn. Frisk quickly walked on.

Frisk put the odd event out of his mind, and thought about the mirror. If it was, indeed, down there in the Underworld, it would solve everything. Was that why he was down there? He still couldn't remember. Be that as it may, the mirror was his best bet. But, where to start looking? The Underworld was vast. It could be anywhere. He would have to look around, ask, gather information. Nothing he wasn't already familiar with, but he was out of practice. He huffed and leaned against a wooden stand.

"Hello? Who's there?" asked a voice. He turned his head, and saw a new monster pop up from inside what he realized was a guardhouse. "Is someone there? I can only see moving things." It looked like a dog wearing a black hood of some kind. "If something _was_ moving, like, a human, I'll make sure it never moves again!" Frisk stayed as still as stone. The monster's eyes roamed back and forth. Frisk waited until the monster was looking another way, and carefully petted its head. "Woo-hoo-hoo! Who did that?!" the monster cried as it whirled and glanced around, Frisk still as stone. When it looked away, he petted it again. "I've been pet! Who's doing that?!" The monster barked as it ducked and glanced around. "Enough of this stuff. I need a bone break . . ." The monster than scuttled away. Frisk grinned and continued on. This place was the most strange and silly he had ever seen, and that was saying a _lot_.

He noted how, while a bit chilly, it was not as cold as he otherwise might expect. As he was heading between two trees, a bark startled him. He gave a light jump when another monster appeared. This one looked like an upright dog, carrying a large sword and shield. However, it was panting, tongue showing. It looked happy, rather than angry. He barely moved his hand, and it looked excited. He glanced at the sword and shield. He had not seen anyone use either of those in a _long_ time. He had never thought to see them used in battle again. He looked at the dog and tried not to let think about the weapons. "Hi, fella," he said in a kind tone. The Lesser Dog yapped and turned in a circle. He carefully petted the dog, who seemed to almost fall asleep, dropping the sword and shield and seeming to curl up on the ground happily. He smiled and patted the monster before heading on. It felt good to not to have to fight or struggle. He didn't want to hurt the monsters. Heck, he'd easily prefer their company to that of humans.

Frisk was not entirely surprised when he saw Sans and Papyrus talking. Arguing, it more could be said.

"You were napping all night!" said Papyrus angrily.

"Yeah, it's called "sleeping"," said Sans.

"Excuses, excuses!" Papyrus noticed Frisk and looked excited.

"Oh ho! The human arrives! In order to stop you, my brother and I have prepared some puzzles! Yes, the most cunning, mind-bending, intellect-twisting, frustrating puzzles you will ever see!" Papyrus giggled to himself. "In fact, I think you will find this particular one quite," at this he snickered. "Shocking. For you see, this puzzle is is a maze of invisible electricity!" Frisk didn't point out that electricity was _always_ invisible. "When you touch the walls of this maze, this orb will administer a hearty zap! Sound like fun? Well, not really. I doubt getting zapped is much fun. Anyways, you can go ahead now, human." Frisk stared at him for a moment, analyzing everything, shrugged, and walked forward. Papyrus was promptly zapped. He stood, smoking and charred as Frisk tried not to giggle. This was too funny. "Sans! What did you do?!" Papyrus demanded as he stomped his foot.

"I think the human has to hold the orb," said Sans, seeming amused as Frisk was.

"Oh, right." Papyrus walked, as if walking through a maze, and handed Frisk the blue orb. "Hold this, please," he said, then rushed back to where he had been as Frisk looked at the orb, and the footprints Papyrus had left in the snow. "Now try!" yelled Papyrus. Frisk smiled, and walked forward, following the footprints the skeleton had left, reaching the other side in a few seconds. Frisk stifled a giggle as Papyrus' jaw quite literally dropped into the snow. He stooped and swiftly picked it up and put it back. "You slippery snail! Amazing! You solved it easily. Too easily! But, the next puzzle will not be so easy! It was made by my brother, and is so confounding, even I don't understand it! We shall meet again! Nya ha ha!" With that, Papyrus ran off. Frisk smiled, set the orb down, and walked up to Sans.

"Hey, thanks. My brother seems to be having fun. By the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing?"

"Kind of hard not to," retorted Frisk.

"We made it a few weeks ago for a costume party. He hasn't worn anything else since." Frisk stared at him for a moment. "He keeps calling it his "battle body"," explained Sans.

"Ah."

"Man, isn't my brother cool?"

"As a cucumber," replied Frisk, not able to help a grin. These two were really a hoot, there was no doubt about that. He was already wondering what else the blundering bonehead had in store. This was actually getting fun. He turned and headed further into what he now realized were frozen, underground mountains. Oddly enough, that was not the oddest thing he had ever seen or heard.

Frisk continued to follow the path, and met a few more monsters, and each time, he was able to avoid a fight. He even made a few new friends. Although, that female Gyftrot who made goo-goo eyes at him, and called him "Cutie-Pie", made him nervous.

"What ho! It's the human again!" Frisk looked up and saw Papyrus and Sans. Papyrus looked even more excited than last time. "I hope you're ready for this! The most cunning, crafty . . ." Papyrus frowned. "Sans! Where's the damn puzzle?!"

"It's right there, on the ground." Papyrus and Frisk looked at a page of paper on the ground. They both raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Trust me, there's no way they can get past this one," Sans declared. Frisk smiled and calmly walked around the paper and stopped in front of them. Frisk couldn't help being amused at the horrified and exasperated look on Papyrus' face.

"Sans! He didn't even look at it!"

"Whoops. I knew I should have used today's crossword instead."

"What?! Crossword?! I can't believe you said that!" Papyrus shrieked. "In my opinion, Junior Jumble is easily the hardest." Sans looked at him funny.

"What? Dude, seriously? That easy-peasy word-scramble? That's for baby bones." Papyrus crossed his arms and glared at his brother.

"Un. Believable! Human! Solve this dispute!" Frisk looked surprised.

Now, Frisk had filled out a few crossword puzzles he had found in dumpsters and trash while wandering, provided he had something to write with, but he never really was into them that much. Solving other kinds of puzzles and riddles were more to his taste. Frisk put his hand to his chin and thought. He'd never played Junior Jumble so who was he to judge?

"I think, the jumble?"

" _Ha!_ Humans must be very intelligent if they also find Junior Jumble so difficult! Nya ha ha!" With that, Papyrus again ran off. Frisk blinked, looked down at the page, then at Sans.

"Crosswords? Really?" Sans chuckled.

"Thanks for appeasing my brother. Yesterday, he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope." Frisk nodded in understanding. He wasn't about to tell Sans that he really was just guessing. He headed on, and quickly found another "trap" of Papyrus. There was a bowl of spaghetti, sitting on a plate, frozen. It was so cold, it has stuck to the table. There was a note on the table.

 _Human, please enjoy this spaghetti. (Little do you know, this spaghetti is a trap. Designed to entice you. You'll be so busy eating it, that you won't realize you aren't progressing. Thoroughly japed again by the Great Papyrus!) Nyeh-heh-heh_

 _-Papyrus._

Frisk raised an eyebrow, looked at the spaghetti, and the note. Frisk couldn't help laughing out loud. He snickered every now and then after that. Frisk walked through the snow, and couldn't help admiring the snow and the tranquil mountains. So far, most of the monsters he had met were very nice, and didn't want to fight. That being said, he was not about to let down his guard, not at all.

"What's that smell?" asked a voice. Frisk stopped and noticed two large dog-like monsters, dressed in black and carrying very large battleaxes. This would be ugly. The other monster sniffed at him.

"I smell it too, darling. It smells odd. Could it be a . . . human?" The second voice was female. Frisk thought quickly as they both stood on either side of him, axes ready.

"I'm not sure. What does a human smell like?" Frisk hurried and rubbed snow on himself, and shivered at the cold. The monsters sniffed again. "Wait a minute, it smells different," said the male. The female sniffed him.

"Yes, it smells more like . . . a puppy. Aw, are you lost, little one?" she cooed. Frisk tried not to be embarrassed and annoyed at the same time.

"No, just out for a walk," he said as he gently petted both of them.

"Wow! Pet by another pup!" said the male.

"Don't leave me out!" cried the female. Frisk stifled a laugh, and gave them a couple more pets.

"Thanks! That felt good! Just what we needed!" said the male.

"Yes! Who would've thought dogs could pet other dogs?" asked the female. The two nuzzled each other and left. Frisk stared and shook his head, amused, but glad he avoided a fight once more. They seemed like nice dogs, and he didn't want to hurt them. As he continued on, he thought about the mirror.

He realized that some of the monsters may know. He would have to ask, next chance he got. Frisk nodded to himself as he saw a gate, and two tiles on the ground with red Xs on them. He stepped near, and the x changed to a green circle. He did the same with the other one, stepped on a switch, and the gate lowered. He smiled. He was walking through when he ran into Papyrus.

"You! How did you get past my trap?!" Frisk looked at the gate. "And more importantly, is there any left for me?" Frisk realized he was talking about the spaghetti.

"Uh, yeah." Papyrus looked surprised.

"Wowie. You resisted the sensational goodness of my homecooked pasta, just so you could share it with me? I'm speechless!" Frisk stared at him, not sure what to think. Papyrus grinned and nodded. "Fear not, human! I, Master Chef Papyrus will make you all the pasta you could ever want!" Frisk watched as he laughed and took off. Now that he mentioned it, he _was_ getting rather hungry. He thought about Toriel's pie, but decided to save it for a special occasion. Speaking of her, he really ought to call her. He stopped and pulled out the cell phone and selected her number. He pressed the send key, and waited. The phone rang, and rang, and rang. He sighed as he hung up. He knew Toriel was upset when he left, but he wondered if he hurt her that much. Frisk was no idiot, and he was not as naïve as she assumed. He knew something else was bothering her, something unsaid, but there. He sighed, put the phone away, and continued on. Pushing would only do more harm than good. Even so, he worried about her. He could not see anyone coming there to hurt her, but a pang of worry persisted.

Frisk was not too surprised to find Papyrus not too far ahead.

"You know, my brother started a sock collection recently. How saddening . . ." Frisk scratched his head at this. "I wonder what he would do without such a cool guy there to take care of him?" Frisk said nothing. Papyrus shook his head. "Anyways, you were taking a while to arrive, so I decided to improve this puzzle, by arranging the snow to look more like my face. Unfortunately . . . the snow froze to the ground." Papyrus sounded embarrassed. "So, now the solution is different! And, as usual, my lazy-bones brother is nowhere to be seen! Oh, the agony I must endure!" Frisk watched as Papyrus struck a pose, scarf fluttering in a breeze. Wait, when did that breeze start? "What I am trying to say is that I, Papyrus the Great, will solve this conundrum! Then we can both proceed!"

Frisk watched as Papyrus tried several times to solve it, and failed. Frisk watched how the blue Xs would change to either a red circle, or a green triangle. He smiled, and as Papyrus watched, walked through the small ice maze and solved it in one go. "Astounding! You solved it! And without any help from me! Well done! You must care about puzzles like I do!" Frisk smiled gently and shrugged. "I'm sure you'll love the next puzzle then!" The skeleton then hurried off again, cackling. Frisk followed, and was not surprised to find Sans waiting for him.

"Hey, good job on solving it so quickly. You didn't even need my help. Which is great, 'cause I love doing absolutely nothing." Frisk smiled and shook his head as he continued onwards.

He again found the Bone Brothers, apparently with another puzzle.

"Hey! It's the human!" said Papyrus excitedly. "You're gonna love this puzzle! It was made by the great Dr. Alphys! You see these tiles? Once I throw this switch, they will begin to change color! Each color has a different function. Red tiles are impassible, so you can't walk on them. Yellow tiles are electrified! Walk on them, and you'll get a shock! Green tiles sound an alarm, and you will have to fight a monster if you step on them! Orange tiles are orange-scented. They will make you smell delicious! Blue tiles are water tiles. Swim through if you like, but if you happen to smell like oranges, the Piranhas will munch you! Also, if there's a blue tile next to a yellow one, the water will be electrified. Purple tiles are slippery! Watch out, you'll slide to the next tile. But, the slippery soap smells like lemons, which Piranhas don't like one bit! Finally, pink tiles don't do anything, so no problems there. Everybody likes pink! How was that?! Understand?"

"Uhhhh . . ." Frisk stared at him, looking thoroughly lost. Now, Frisk was pretty sharp, and he got most of it, but Papyrus had been speaking a bit fast. That aside, if he could avoid Piranhas and electrified water, he would do so. Papyrus groaned.

"Okay, I'll repeat myself. Red tiles are impassible, yellow are electrified, blue makes into a monster, green are water tiles, orange tiles are lemon-scented, so don't step on orange and pink ones. Brown tiles are . . . wait a minute. There _are_ no brown tiles! But if the purple ones are lemon-scented, why don't the yellows smell lemony? Wait? Did I mix up green and blue? The blue tiles are water tiles!"

"What about the periwinkle ones?" Frisk asked.

"Ah, yes! I was just getting to those. They . . ." Frisk giggled at this. "Wait a minute! Pink is bubblegum, or was it a reset? Wait, that's not right! Green is grass, blue is water, so green should grow if next to a blue tile. No! Wait, I . . . I can't remember!" Papyrus looked ready to have a fit. "Human! Do you understand the explanation?" Frisk shook his head, enjoying the look on Papyrus' face.

"Okay, you know what . . . how about . . . you . . . do this puzzle on your own. I'll just leave the instructions, and when you understand it, you can just throw the switch. Good luck . . ." With that, Papyrus left, looking relieved. Frisk waited a bit, then fell down laughing. He just couldn't help it! He wiped his tears as he walked across the blank tiles, where Sans was grinning even wider at him.

"Heh, heh, that was pretty funny! He looked ready to bust a bone! By the way, that spaghetti from earlier, it wasn't too bad for my brother. Since he started cooking lessons, he's been getting better. I bet if he keeps it up, but next year, he'll actually make something edible." Frisk grinned as he picked up the instructions and tried to read them. Now, Frisk was pretty good at reading, but the illegible chicken-scratches were beyond even him. Frisk continued onwards.

In the next area, Frisk encountered a dog monster that was trying to build a snowman. Or snow-monster in this case. A deer-like monster was watching, and shaking its head. Frisk approached and cleared his throat. The monster looked up at him.

"Excuse me, but do you know where I could maybe find a library?" Frisk asked. The monster looked him up and down, one eyebrow raised.

"Ah, you must be the human that Gyftrot was raving about. Yeah, there's a library in Snowdin, just up ahead." Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Thanks." Frisk moved to leave.

"Gyftrot said to call her. Something about bringing a salt lick . . ." Frisk suppressed a shiver at that, and hurried on. He never would have thought he would have a monster deer fawning over him.

Thankfully, the path was clear, and he didn't have any other encounters with Papyrus, or any more monsters. He was pretty sure he could see a town not too far. That had to be it. He could stay at an inn, get some food, and most importantly, he could look through the books at the library for a lead on the Mirror of Elde. Frisk stopped when he saw a white tail of a dog, sticking out from behind a clump of snow. A white head appeared and yipped cutely at him. It looked like an entirely normal dog.

"Hi, fella. What're you doing out in the cold?" Frisk asked. He was shocked when the snow moved, and the dog stood up, revealing a towering suit of metal armor that encased it. Frisk stared and saw the large spear the Greater Dog held. Frisk tried to stay calm, and remember that the other dogs responded well to kindness and pets. He raised his hand gently, and the Greater Dog lower its head and yipped happily. He smiled and scratched its ears. The ears twitched as he scratched, one armored foot thumping against the ground. He was surprised when the dog leaped out of the armor, revealing it was, indeed, a normal dog within. It licked his face, danced around a bit, and jumped back in its armor and trotted off. Frisk chuckled and shook his head as he headed onwards.

Frisk came to a suspension bridge over a large canyon. He looked down at the frosty forest below, seeing a few lakes and rivers. It looked like any alpine forest above ground. He glanced around as he crossed the bridge, taking in the sights. He noticed a small, wooded island in a small lake far below, wondering if he should, perhaps, investigate it. He seriously doubted that the Mirror of Elde would just be out in plain sight, or in a place that was easy to access. He was so lost in his own thoughts, he almost didn't hear someone shout out to him.

"O ho! Human!" shouted a deep voice. He looked up, and sure enough, Papyrus was there with Sans. The larger skeleton crossed his arms and looked smug. "Now, comes your greatest, most dangerous challenge! Behold, the great Gauntlet of Deadly Terror!" Frisk couldn't help his eyes widening at the sight of the numerous traps arrayed before his eyes. There was a spiked Morning Star the size of a beach ball on a huge chain, several huge halberds, a flamethrower, a cannon and . . . a dog on a rope? Needless to say, it seemed clear Papyrus was going for broke now. Frisk looked around. On the narrow bridge, he would have no room at all to maneuver, never mind the very real danger that any of those weapons could destroy the ropes and collapse the bridge.

This was not good.

He looked up at Papyrus. "When I give the order, the trap will activate! Blades will slice! Cannons will fire, spikes will swing! Your chances of victory are slim to none, human!" Frisk managed to keep his composure as he quickly went through various scenarios and plans, looking at each piece, thinking quickly on how to avoid each one. Papyrus struck a dramatic pose, pointing at Frisk. "Are you ready?! Because . . . I'm about to . . . activate it!" Frisk tensed all of his muscles, ready to move. He had to be quick. However, Papyrus stood still, not moving or speaking. Sans looked back and forth at him, Frisk, and the trap.

"Uh, Bro? That don't look very . . . activated," said Sans. Papyrus looked conflicted.

"I . . . I'm going to do it!" Papyrus looked at Frisk, but, despite not having skin, it didn't seem he wanted to do it. Frisk had met people who were _true_ killers before, and Papyrus didn't even remotely seem the type. Sans looked at him.

"Well? What're you waiting for?" Sans asked. Papyrus looked down at the snow, then at Frisk.

"I . . . well, uh, that is . . . This trap! It lacks style! And it's too . . . easy! Yes! This trap is simply too easy to catch the human with! That's it! We can't use such a crude trap like this as a challenge! I'm a skeleton with standards! We simply shall have to use another challenge than this! No!"

" _Go,_ " said a mechanical voice. Everyone froze at that. Frisk noticed the cannon moving to target him. Papyrus looked even more pale, if that was at all possible.

"Oops . . ." he squeaked.

"Run, kid!" Sans yelled as the Morning Star swung down at him. Frisk moved like striped lightning, darting as best as he could on the narrow bridge. He dodged a spear that severed one of the ropes, he jumped over a gout of flame, he leaned to the side as a cannonball flew past. The dog was yapping loudly as Frisk darted and wove through the gauntlet. Sans and Papyrus were jumping up and down and yelling instructions as Frisk narrowly avoided the traps.

"Run! Jump! Left! Your other left! Duck! Run!" yelled Papyrus as Frisk narrowly avoided being skewered by one of the spears, and then almost lost his head to a halberd. The cannon swiveled and fired again, taking out several ropes and boards. To make matters worse, the flamethrower was setting the back of the bridge on fire.

"Move, kid! Move!" Sans yelled, seeing the peril Frisk was in. Frisk glanced back and saw the bridge on fire, just as the ropes began to snap. The dog yapped, seeming to point. Frisk looked up, saw the Morning Star swinging at him, and saw his chance. He leaped up and, seemingly in an act of suicide, towards the spiked ball. Frisk grabbed the heavy chain, planted a foot between the spikes, and rode the swinging ball as the cannon aimed and fired. Frisk leaped from the ball just as the cannonball hit the Morning Star, shattering it into millions of steel shards. Frisk flew through the air, carried by the momentum of the Morning Star, and landed right between Sans and Papyrus as the bridge snapped and fell into the gorge with a reverberating crash. The larger skeleton looked stunned.

"You did it! Amazing!" Papyrus realized what he said, and looked embarrassed, clearing his throat. "Ahem, I mean, well done, human! You're even more tricky than I thought! But, you have not seen the last of the Great Papyrus! Nyeh heh, heh!" With that, Papyrus ran off. Frisk sighed and collapsed into the snow. Sans grinned down at him.

"That was pretty cool. Sorry about that. But, if anything had happened, I had you covered," said Sans. Frisk chuckled.

"Yeah, with a morgue sheet," quipped the human, getting a laugh from Sans. The skeleton looked a bit more serious.

"He really didn't mean to do that, ya know." Frisk sat up and nodded. "I don't know what he'll be up to next, but I'm sure you got it covered." Sans helped Frisk up. "Snowdin's just up ahead. There's an inn you can stay at if you need." Frisk sighed tiredly and nodded. Sans watched him go.


	4. Chapter Four: Warm Inns or White Outs

**Chapter Four: Warm Inns or White Outs**

Frisk smiled as he saw the town of Snowdin for the first time. It had a small, close, friendly feel to it, in a stark contrast to the huge, sprawling human cities that were ever growing above ground. It reminded him of quaint, quiet villages and hamlets that he had known in ages past. He smiled and shook his head. He glanced up and saw a shop. He brought up the wallet he had been given, and he head enough gold for a few items, should he need. Some of the monsters he had befriended had given him some money, which would help. Frisk brushed a strand of hair from his face, and found it had been singed. Not too surprising. He was very lucky to escape as he did. He rubbed his shoulder as he opened the door of the shop.

"Hello, traveller, how can I help you?" asked a feminine voice. He looked up at the female monster who was the shopkeeper.

She was about as tall as Toriel was, her fur was a lovely shade of purple. She looked like a fusion of a human and a rabbit. Her tone was friendly and warm, just like the shop that gave a soft, warm glow. Frisk smiled as he walked up to the counter.

"Hello," he replied.

"Can't remember the last time I saw a new face around here." Frisk smiled gently at this. He noticed some warm cinnamon buns that looked tasty. The shopkeeper looked pleased at his selection. "Those are my own recipe. I normally sell them for twenty-five gold, but for you, I'll let you have one for fifteen." Frisk nodded and paid her. As he took the bun, she looked at him. "Are you okay? You have soot on you, and you look like you've been in a fight." Frisk looked at himself, and wasn't too surprised. He smiled at her, trying not to sway. "You look tired. My sister, next door, runs an inn. Frisk nodded at her. He did feel tired.

"Thank you," he said, his exhaustion evident in his tone. As he turned and swayed, the shopkeeper surprised him by coming around the counter and steadying him.

"Here," she said as she gently led him out of the shop, putting up a "closed" sign, and leading Frisk next door to the inn. After all of that, he was barely standing, he was so tired. He could barely hear the conversation between the shopkeeper and her sister, but he was led to a warm, soft room.

XXX

The next thing he knew, it was dawn, or as close as it came to it under the ground. Frisk got up from the cozy bed, and headed down the stairs to the lobby. A pink rabbit-woman was behind the counter, and smiled when she saw him.

"Oh! Good morning! I hope you slept well! My sister was very worried about you! She said you looked like someone had beaten you up!" Frisk smiled and gently shook his head.

"I got a bit roughed up out in the forest, but it wasn't a fight." She smiled and looked relieved.

"That's good. Sis will be relieved to hear that." Frisk walked up to the counter.

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?" She giggled.

"Oh, you're such a cutie! You don't owe me a thing. It was on the house. If you ever need to come back, I'll give you a deal." Frisk smiled and nodded. Frisk left the inn and went to the shop to thank the shopkeeper. She looked up as he opened the door, and looked happy to see him.

"Oh! Glad to see you up! You look much better." Frisk smiled.

"Yes. Thank you for that." She smiled and waved, as if it was nothing.

"You looked like you were going to fall over. Anybody would've done the same thing." Frisk smiled sadly. How wrong she was. At least as far as humans were concerned. "I'm Alessa, by the way," said the shopkeeper. Frisk smiled and shook her hand.

"Thank you, Alessa. That was very kind of you." She waved again, but he thought she looked a bit embarrassed. "By the way, would you happen to know the way to the library?" he asked. She smiled at him.

"Sure. You go into town, and it's past Grillby's. You can't miss it." Frisk smiled wider at this.

"Thank you, Alessa. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, just name it." She smiled and giggled a bit.

"Awe, you're sweet. I was just glad to help. You stay safe, now." Frisk nodded and left. He decided to have the cinnamon bun on the way to the library. It was wonderful, sweet and fluffy. He felt worlds better after some sleep and some food. He hadn't realized how tired he was. Then again, it was hard to tell the passage of time down there, without the sun. Even telling directions was difficult at times. Frisk looked up, and smiled when, at long last, he saw the library. As he came close, his smile widened at the misspelled sign of "Librarby". He giggled a bit as he went in.

Inside, the library was warm, cozy and had a gentle, golden light. It happily reminded him of better times. Putting those thoughts aside, Frisk set to the task of searching for any information that could show him where the Mirror of Elde was.

XXX

Hours passed as Frisk searched through the books of the library. While he didn't find much about the Mirror, he did find interesting things about the monsters and humans. Because of the fact that monsters were mostly magic, and humans mostly physical, that accounted for one of many differences. The bodies of monsters would turn to dust when they died, and often, their dust would be scattered on things they loved in life, and their essence was said to live on within that object. Frisk stared at the book for a long time, not reading, but thinking on scattered thoughts and memories brought to the fore by that entry. He gently closed the book, sighed softly, and leaned back in the chair. He was silent and still for a long time, thinking. Frisk finally returned the book to the shelf and left the library.

With that point of interest finally covered, he just stood and thought on what his next action should be. He decided to ask around Snowdin, and see if any of the monsters had heard of the Mirror of Elde. Sadly, most just met him with either confused stares, or asked why he needed a mirror. Frisk couldn't help being a little disappointed, but he wasn't about to quit. He headed out of Snowdin, taking note of a two-story house that had a mailbox overflowing with mail. He shook his head and continued out of Snowdin.

As he walked along the path, next to a river, he noticed how icy it was getting. Icy fog was obscuring his vision. He stopped and looked around, making sure he was still on the right path. When he looked up, he saw a tall figure in the mist.

"Human . . .," said the deep voice of Papyrus. Frisk tensed up a bit, wondering what he was up to now. "I want to talk to you. About the simple joys of life. Such as . . . finding another pasta-lover! The admiration of another's puzzle-solving skills. The desire to have a cool, smart person think you are cool, too. Those feelings you feel, I cannot imagine what it must be like!" Frisk stared at him as he talked. Papyrus struck a dramatic pose. "But fear not! For I, the Great Papyrus, shall be your . . ." He suddenly turned away, looking conflicted. "No! This isn't right! I'm supposed to capture you! Not be your friend! Only then will I be able to fulfill my dream! Powerful! Popular! Prestigious! That will be me! Papyrus, new member of the Royal Guard!" Papyrus turned and got into a fighting stance. Frisk remained calm.

"Is that why you want to fight me?" Frisk asked. "You think, by being a member of the Royal Guard, people will be your friend? No." Papyrus was surprised at this.

"What do you mean?! Of course they will!"

"Will they?" Papyrus was shocked. "Someone pretending to be your friend merely because it's popular, and someone being your friend because they genuinely like you, are two _very_ different things. Believe me, I know." The skeleton looked shocked by his words. Frisk smiled as best he could. "Do you want only false friends, who make fun of you behind your back, will abandon you and sell you out at the first opportunity? Or do you want _true_ friends? The kind who stick with you through thick and thin? The kind who would gladly beat bloody the false friends who hurt you? Ask yourself; what do you desire more? Do you want fame for the sake of a few false, flippant, fair-weather-friends? Or do you want true friends who last a lifetime?" Frisk's words hit harder than any physical attack could ever do.

"Ah, I had . . . never thought of that . . ." Frisk smiled and came closer.

"It's only natural to want to be liked. To be part of a group. But, if you seek fame only for its own sake, it will attract only those who are shallow and cruel. But, if you let the person who you are, your heart, shine forth, then _true_ friends will flock to you on their own. Any fame you gain is just a tiny bonus along a wonderful journey." Papyrus looked genuinely moved by Frisk's words, staring at the ground in thought.

"Human . . . your words. They're the words of . . ." Papyrus looked up at him. ". . . A true friend." Frisk smiled and offered his hand as the mist faded away. Papyrus smiled as he shook Frisk's hand. "I don't want to fight you, human. Any human who speaks as you do, and loves spaghetti and puzzles, cannot possibly be bad!" Frisk smiled at this.

"I don't want to fight you, either. I'd much rather have a friend than an enemy."

"So would I, but now, I will never join the Royal Guard! Undyne will be so disappointed in me!" Frisk frowned gently, scratching his cheek as he tried to think.

"Well, we'll think of something. If she's really your friend, she'll understand." Papyrus perked up at this.

"You're right, human! Undyne taught me everything I know! She would certainly understand!"

"Hey, you two all right?" called a familiar voice. Frisk smiled as Sans walked up.

"Just fine, Sans," said Frisk. Sans grinned.

"Aha! I might have known you had something to do with this!" said Papyrus.

"Maybe," chuckled Sans. Frisk smiled and shook his head.

"Okay you two. I'm not here for any old reason. I'm trying to break the spell and free all of you guys." They both looked genuinely shocked at this. "But, I need your help. Has either of you heard of the Mirror of Elde before?" Papyrus stroked his chin and looked thoughtful.

"Hmm, the name seems familiar, but I can't say that I have. Have you, brother?" Sans scratched his skull.

"Not really. But how could a mirror break the Barrier?" Frisk smiled and shook his head.

"Its magic is far more powerful, but I have to find it, first." Sans looked at him.

"And you're sure it's down here?" Frisk nodded.

"I'm pretty sure. I've felt a great power down here. It has to be the mirror." Papyrus and Sans looked at each other.

"Well, if it is, it's sure a big secret. I've never even heard of it. And if something like that was down here, why didn't anybody use it?" Sans asked. Frisk smiled without humor.

"Because it will only work for humans." They both stared at him. Frisk crossed his arms. "Legends said that it was hidden away in a place where its power could never be used. This would be the best place, if you think about it. If it only works for humans, and was hidden in a place where there _are_ no humans, what better place to hide it?" The two skeletons looked at each other. He did have a good point. Papyrus suddenly held up his hand.

"Ah! That must be it! That must be why King Asgore wants to capture a human! If he captures a human, and has them use the mirror, it would break the Barrier and free us! Yes! That _must_ be it!" Sans rubbed the side of his head, not looking as convinced.

"Maybe, bro. I'm not so sure . . ." Frisk noted his tone, and it felt, to Frisk, like Sans might know a bit more than he let on. He filed it away, but let it go for now.

"Well, since there were no leads on the Mirror in the library, I guess I'll have to look elsewhere," said Frisk, crossing his arms, looking deep in thought. He looked at Sans and Papyrus and smiled. "Thanks for the help, you two." Papyrus grinned.

"Any time! And if you ever need any help, please don't be afraid to ask! Here's my phone number! And . . . if you ever get hungry, I, the Great Papyrus, will gladly cook you as much delicious spaghetti as you could want!" Frisk giggled at his dramatic pose, smiled and took the offered note and number.

"Thanks. I will." Frisk looked as Sans, who had his hands in his pockets, and was grinning. "And thanks for your help, Sans."

"Ah, no problem! And I'll keep an eye socket out for ya!" Frisk nodded, waved, and headed off. Papyrus was too busy waving to notice, but Sans looked a bit worried.

XXX

Frisk followed the path, noticing how things began to thaw, and feel more wet, than cold. He increasingly saw small waterfalls. He stopped and looked around.

"Hmm, must be the watersource for the underground," he mused. He idly wondered of this was the aquifer that the humans above drew their water from. He walked onwards, and found a deep cavern that felt wet from the moisture that was omnipresent. Frisk noted a few monsters in the cavern. He also noted a strange, glowing blue flower. The monster next to it, a orangish, fish-like monster, noticed his gaze.

"This is an Echo Flower. It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over. Pretty neat, huh?" said the monster. Frisk looked at him. He looked at the flower, and, sure enough, as he came closer, it spoke.

" _This is an Echo Flower. It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over. Pretty neat, huh?"_ Frisk blinked, and smiled. It was pretty interesting, and could potentially be useful.

"That is neat. Thanks," said Frisk. The monster nodded. Frisk grinned. Now, he had another potential lead on the Mirror. Maybe someone talked about the Mirror near one of the flowers?

As he was heading out, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Hey, Buddo!" he stopped, turned, and sure enough, there was Sans, sitting at a guard station. Frisk was going to ask how he got there, but thought better. Sans looked at him and grinned. "So, how's the hunt going?" Frisk shrugged.

"Slow, but steady. I never said it would be easy." Sans nodded.

"So, what'd you think of my brother?" Frisk smiled.

"He's a good guy. He wants to do the right thing, and he has a good heart." Sans seemed pleased with Frisk's words.

"Ya know, he was the one who pushed me to get this sentry job. Maybe it's a little strange, but sometimes it's nice to have someone call you out on being lazy." Frisk smiled softly and nodded.

"It's not strange at all. Sometimes, we cannot see our own faults, and need to have someone else point them out to us." Sans looked at Frisk, and noted how wise those words were, for someone who looked so young.

"Even though nothing could be further from the truth." Frisk smiled wider at that.

"Of course not," said Frisk, smiling. Sans grinned back.

"Cool or not, you gotta admit, Papyrus always tries hard. Like how he keeps trying to be part of the Royal Guard. One day, he went to the house of the head of the Royal Guard, and begged her to let him be in it." Frisk noted that the head of the Royal Guard was a woman, mildly surprised. "Of course, she shut the door on him. Hey, it was Midnight." They both chuckled at this. "But, when she woke up, he was still waiting there. Seeing his dedication, she decided to give him training." Frisk tried not to chuckle again.

"Still working on it, huh?"

"Yeah . . ." Frisk smiled and gently shook his head. "Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you something," said Sans. Frisk looked at him. "Have you ever heard of a talking flower?" Frisk felt his blood chill. Frisk nodded slowly. "So, you know about it. The Echo Flower. They're all over the marsh. Say something to them, and they'll repeat it over and over." For some reason, this didn't make Frisk feel any better.

"What about them?" Frisk asked. He had a bad feeling.

"Well, Paps said something interesting the other day. Sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers things to him. Flattery, advice, encouragement . . . predictions. Weird, huh?" Frisk felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. That most certainly did not sound like the Echo Flowers. It sounded more like a certain homicidal flower he knew. Frisk tried very hard to hide how unnerved he was.

"Yeah, sure is."

"Somebody must be using an Echo Flower to play a trick on him," said Sans. Frisk nodded, but his gut said otherwise. "So, would ya keep an eye out?" Frisk nodded again. "Thanks, bud." Frisk turned and left, far more troubled.

So, it seemed that Flowey was not confined to the Ruins as he thought. While Frisk could not say he was surprised, it made him wary, wondering just what the maniacal flower was up to. From their very brief interactions, Frisk had his doubts he could end a fight with Flowey peacefully. Frisk thought deeply about this as he walked. If Flowey was influencing others, he doubted any good would come of it. Regardless, Frisk would have to be extra careful. There was no telling what that nasty weed was plotting. He continued onwards, watching very carefully.

The path eventually narrowed to a small, dirt bridge, covered with thick reeds and cattails. The cavern was rather dark, but not completely. There was some light from bioluminescent mushrooms and crystals. Long shadows were cast by the minor light sources. Frisk could see pillars on the far side of the water, looking like the remains of a Greek temple. Frisk turned back to the weeds, and headed in, moving slowly and carefully, in case there was anything lurking in the weeds. He slowly made his way into the weeds, and was, perhaps halfway across, when he heard voices.

"H-hi, Undyne! I'm here with my daily report." Frisk recognized Papyrus' voice. Frisk carefully and slowly made his way to the edge of the path, and peeked between a pair of cattails, but remained hidden in the weeds. He could see Papyrus, almost hidden by the shadows, across the cavern. He also saw another figure. One clad in full plate armor. Frisk tensed up. He could hear a voice, but it was too distant, and with the noise of the water, he couldn't make out what they were saying. Papyrus, though, with his deep voice, was much easier to hear. "Uh, about the human I called you about earlier," Frisk strained to hear, but Papyrus had lowered his voice. Frisk could hear another voice, but, again, he couldn't make out what they were saying. The armored figure turned to Papyrus. "Huh? Did I fight them? Y-yes! Of course I did! I fought them valiantly! What? Did I capture them? W-w-well, that is, uh . . ." Frisk was tense as a bowstring.

He could hardly believe it, but also wasn't surprised. Papyrus was selling him out. While Frisk felt some hurt, he could understand. "No. I tried very hard, Undyne, but in the end . . . I failed." Frisk was sure he heard a hiss from the armored figure. Undyne turned to Papyrus and said something. Even from where he was, he could see Papyrus looked shocked. "Wh-what?! You're going to take the human's soul yourself?!" Frisk froze, and watched. He was surprised when Papyrus approached her. "B-but Undyne! You don't have to destroy them! You see . . ." Undyne turned and seemed to glare at him. Frisk thought for sure he saw a flash of light from the visor of the helmet. There were more words he couldn't hear, more of that hissed tone. Papyrus backed away, looking frightened. " . . . I understand. I'll help you any way I can." With that, Papyrus hurried away. Frisk frowned deeply. Things were making much more sense. Frisk moved to leave, the weeds rustling.

Reacting to the sound, Undyne whirled, a glowing blue spear materializing in her hand. Frisk froze, staying still as stone. He watched between the weeds as Undyne looked back and forth, waiting for a repeat of movement. When there was no further noise, or movement, Undyne's spear faded and she stepped back into the shadows and vanished. Frisk sighed with relief. While Papyrus and the other monsters didn't want to fight, and the few that did were no effort at all to avoid or run from, Undyne looked like she would be immensely tough, and hard to beat.

"Yo! Didja see the way she was staring at you?!" Frisk jumped at the voice right next to him, dashed out of the reeds, and was surprised when a small monster came out after him, jumping around and looking excited. This one looked like a yellowish lizard with horns and no arms. If the voice was anything to go by, it was clearly a child. "That was so _awesome!_ I'm sooo jealous! What'd you do to get her attention, yo?" Frisk sighed and wilted a bit.

"Uh, I don't think she really saw me," Frisk replied. The monster kid jumped up and down.

"C'mon, dude! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" Frisk watched as the monster kid began to run off, tripped and fell flat on his face, only to lift himself up and run on as if nothing happened. A feeling of dread hung over Frisk. He sighed, clenched his fists, and headed further into the underground, his Determination never wavering.

 **Author's note:** I have some artwork to go with this. Check out my DeviantArt account to see!


	5. Chapter Five: Sink or Swim

**Chapter Five: Sink or Swim**

Frisk continued into the caverns, always careful and watching his every step and every shadow. He knew he was being stalked, and was tense. He came to stop near a gap, and some fast-flowing water. A sign next to him said to use the special "Bridge Flowers" to cross. Curious, he took one of the folded flowers, set it on the water, and watched as it defied the current and floated across the water. He put down three more, and was surprised when they opened like waterlilies and formed a bridge. He smiled and gently crossed. He walked further into the caverns, and marveled at the subtle beauty to them. Some of the rocks gave a soft, gentle glow. As he walked across a small, wooden bridge, there was a gentle splash, and a monster appeared.

"Hey, kid. You're new here, aren't ya?" asked the odd monster. His voice was clearly male, but if that wasn't enough, his muscles left little doubt. Frisk stopped and nodded. The monster stood up from the water, revealing himself to be an odd horse-headed mer-being. "I'm Aaron, the Master of Muscles!" he said as he flexed. Frisk wasn't sure of his attitude yet.

"You sure are. You must have worked really hard to have a physique like that," said Frisk, smiling gently. Aaron winked and nodded.

"You bet! I work out every day! Takes a lot of work, but totally worth it!" Aaron flexed again.

"It shows." Aaron smiled at this.

"No magic to it. You can look like this, too, kid, if you try! Come on, let me see you flex! Show me what you got!" Frisk smiled and shook his head as he tried to flex like a bodybuilder. This was so silly, and fun. Aaron smiled and flexed harder. "Not bad, kid. You got a good body to start with! You work out every day and eat good, and you might look like me one day!" Aaron winked as he flexed harder. Frisk smiled at him.

"Well, if everyone was as built as you, you wouldn't be as special." Aaron stopped and looked at him.

"Aw, thanks, kid! Shucks, you're nice. Most folks think, because I'm big, I like to hurt people," Aaron said, sounding sad. Frisk came closer to the water and sat down by the edge.

"Hmm, well, sadly, people do judge by appearances. Not right, but it's true."

"Yeah . . ." Aaron sounded dejected. Frisk smiled.

"Why don't you use your muscles to help people?" Aaron perked up at this, his ears pricking.

"Help?" Frisk nodded.

"Yeah. You're so strong, you could help a lot of monsters. Not everybody is as strong as you are. I'm sure some monsters would be really grateful if you, for example, helped them carry home their groceries, or helped them clear some rocks. Helping others is its own reward." Aaron's eyes lit up at this.

"That's a great idea! I'll put these beauties to great use! Thanks, kid!" With a splash, Aaron swam off. Frisk smiled and felt warm inside. Helping didn't cost a thing. He stood and continued on.

Frisk used more of the Bridge Flowers to cross some water, when his phone rang. Frisk answered it.

"Hello!" Frisk was surprised to hear Papyrus' voice. Frisk tried to keep his voice even, while in his mind, he recalled his meeting with Undyne.

"How'd you get my number?" Frisk asked.

"Oh, I just dialed every number sequentially until I got yours! Nyeh heh heh!" Frisk stared at the phone. "So . . . what're you wearing?" Papyrus asked. Frisk blinked. That was out-of-the-blue.

"Uh, why?" Frisk had a feeling he knew, but was testing Papyrus.

"I'm . . . asking for a friend. She thought she saw you wearing a striped shirt. Is that true?" Frisk didn't like lying, but he knew who he was likely talking to, and wanted as little trouble as possible.

"Uh, no. I found a chainmail shirt and put it on. Fits good. Nice and heavy."

"Ah, so you aren't wearing a striped shirt, but a chainmail one. Got it. You're my friend, so I trust you one-hundred percent. Have a nice day!" With that, Papyrus hung up. Frisk sighed heavily as he put the phone away. He had a feeling that this was going to bite him. Frisk was more than a little hurt, and part of his mind wasn't surprised at being stabbed in the back again. His more rational mind, however, reminded that Papyrus was easily manipulated, and his desire for friends and to get into the Royal Guard also were factors, and it likely wasn't malicious.

Frisk looked up as he stepped into a new room, and saw it was full of Echo Flowers. He walked close and touched one.

" _Long ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling,"_ said the voice of a male monster, spoken who-knows how long ago. Frisk stood back, and looked at all the other flowers, stopping to listen to each one.

" _Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The King will prove that."_

" _C'mon, sis! Make a wish!"_

" _I wish my sister and I get to see real stars someday . . ."_ Frisk listened and heard many more voices and wishes. Frisk walked through the room, noting a telescope. All of it made him sad. The monsters really wished for freedom. They wanted to see the stars, the sun, the clouds, rain, things humans took for granted.

He noticed another Echo Flower, and listened.

" _I wish . . . I wish . . . For a friend . . ."_ Frisk didn't know why, but this flower, and the message it played, it tugged a heartstring.

It was the voice of a child, a little boy.

It sounded so sad, so lonely. For whatever reason, this single flower, and its message, renewed his resolve. Frisk looked around, but, oddly, there seemed no way forward. He crossed his arms and huffed lightly. He guessed he would have to backtrack. Before he left, he decided to take a look through the telescope and see what the glowing stones looked like through it, since he likely wouldn't be back. He looked, and was awed at how beautiful the stones were. It was then that he noticed what looked like an arrangement of them that seemed for form an arrow. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. It seemed to be pointing at the wall at the far side. He looked up, and walked to the wall. It looked like it had been plastered over. Frisk stood back and gave it a good kick. The plaster shattered, revealing another passage. He smiled and headed through.

The next room had wooden planks on the floor, but what got his attention were plaques on the wall. He stepped close and carefully read the first one. They detailed about the War between humans and monsters; the Imprisoning War. Frisk frowned, bordering on a scowl. He knew this tale already, having read it in the books at Toriel's house. The humans had attacked the monsters unprovoked, out of fear. Fear that a monster might steal the soul of a human, and gain their power. It rankled him, the arrogance, ignorance and injustice of it all. Not a single human was killed, so it hardly could be called a war. To him, it was much more akin to a slaughter.

Frisk took a deep breath of the cool, moist air, and sighed. He knew very well how evil humans could be. He turned and headed deeper into the room. He noticed a drawing of a strange creature, one with wispy-looking wings, detached arms with huge claws, no legs, and dark, dead eyes. Frisk stopped and stared at it. Something about it held him there. Next to it, the plaque said how a monster with the soul of a human would be a beast with unfathomable power. Frisk shook his head and walked to the end of, what turned out to be a dock, a small raft waiting silently in the water. Frisk glanced around, and was thankful he didn't see anyone. He rode the small raft across the water to the other side without incident.

As Frisk walked into the next room, a sense of foreboding came over him. As he walked, his eyes glanced around, watching for any movement. He saw nothing, but the hair on his neck was standing on end. He knew enough from experience never to doubt this feelings authenticity, and was on guard, eyes darting to every shadow, every source of a sound. The attack was so sudden, he almost wasn't able to react, jumping back with as much power as he could muster in his legs. He felt the air cut by the blade of the glowing spear as it impacted and stuck in the boards. Frisk landed and glanced to his left. Across the water, behind stone pillars, Undyne appeared, along with a slew of those glowing, magical spears. Frisk darted forward as three spears hit the boards just where he had been. He could hear growling and hissing from Undyne as he ran as fast as he could, the spears missing him often by an inch or less.

Frisk saw the docks wove around ahead, and followed. That is, until Undyne started to throw her spears ahead, where he was going to be. Frisk leaped over a gap, past where several spears were stuck in the wood. The second time he did this, she almost hit him, the spear just barely grazing his shirt on the back. Frisk put as much energy into his legs as he could, dashing ahead and diving into some reeds as more spears flew at him. He crawled through the reeds, and a few more spears imbedded themselves in the ground nearby. Frisk tensed, and tried to move as quietly, but quickly as he could. He could hear her heavy, armored footsteps behind him. He squirmed to the edge and stayed still. If it came down to it, he could dive into the water. He could hear her, closeby. He could see her armored form between a few reeds. She looked in his direction, and he tensed, ready to run, jump or dive. This close, he was fairly certain he could evade. She moved closer, raised her armored hand. He readied to run.

"Gotcha!" she boomed, and held up . . . The monster kid. When did he get there? She put him down, grumbled something, and left, stomping quite angrily. Frisk sighed and crawled out of the reeds, the monster kid coming out just after. He looked so excited, he was ready to burst.

"Dude! Didja just see that?! Undyne just . . . _touched_ me!" he sighed, sounding like a boy who had just been talked to by his first crush. "I'm never washing this face again!" The monster kid looked at him. "You, your are _so_ unlucky! If you'd been standing just a little bit to the left . . ." Frisk sighed.

"Congratulations," Frisk deadpanned. The monster kid seemed to entirely miss his sarcasm.

"Don't worry, yo! I'm sure we'll see her again!" Once again, he ran off, tripped, fell on his face, peeled himself from the floor, and scampered off. Frisk sighed heavily, his legs burning.

"That's what worries me," he muttered as he walked on.

Frisk passed through an odd room with a piece of cheese inside some kind of crystal, and was not too surprised to find Sans in the next room after.

"Hey, Buddo! I'm thinking of getting into the telescope business. It's normally fifty-thousand gold to use this premium telescope, buuut, since I know you, you can use it for free. Howzabout it?" Frisk tried not to roll his eyes, and nodded. Frisk looked through the telescope, and all he could see was pink. He pulled back, and noticed ink around the eyepiece. He felt his eye, and sure enough, there was ink around his eye. He looked at Sans, who grinned. "Not satisfied? I'll give ya a refund," he chuckled. Frisk snorted and shook his head.

"Nah, but thanks, anyway," said Frisk, patting Sans on the back. Sans grinned and turned to leave, never seeing the sign on his back: _Give a Dog a Bone._ Frisk quietly laughed to himself as he went the other way.

Along the way, Frisk made a few more friends. Like elsewhere, the monsters mostly didn't want to fight. Indeed, Woshua was concerned about his dirty clothes, and cleaned him off. Frisk couldn't help a gentle smile when he thought how nice most of the monsters were. He was startled when his phone rang. He answered it.

"Hello! It's Papyrus!" Frisk tried not to sigh, or sound angry. "Remember when I asked you about clothes?"

"Yeah?" Frisk tried to be as careful with his tone as he could.

"Well, the friend who wanted to know . . . her opinion of your is very . . .murdery." Frisk couldn't help a groan at all of it. "Well, worry not, dear human! Papyrus would never betray you! You said you were not wearing a striped shirt, but one of chainmail! Since you're not wearing the striped shirt anymore, I told her you were! So, you surely are safe now, and she won't attack you!" Frisk slapped his face. "Wow, this is harder than I thought! I just wanted to be everybody's friend!" With that, Papyrus hung up. Frisk sighed and out the phone away. Papyrus did sound genuine. Despite the situation, Frisk couldn't be mad at him. It really wasn't his fault. Frisk continued on, listening to more conversations from the Echo Flowers as he went, and reading a few more plaques of monster history.

As he walked along a narrow path, surrounded by water, he saw a disturbance in the water. When they were revealed to be very large, yellow tentacles, Frisk couldn't help his hair standing on end. He whirled as the water moved, and something rose out of the water. He readied to run, but was surprised when what appeared was not a dangerous beast, but the oddest-looking monster yet. Two large, shiny eyes stared at him as the large monster revealed itself.

"Hey, there. Noticed you were there, and thought I'd say . . . hi." Frisk blinked and waved gently. "I'm Onionsan!" Frisk stared for a long moment.

" _Konnichiwa,"_ he deadpanned.

"What?" Frisk rolled his eyes.

"Never mind." Frisk moved to continue on.

"So . . . you're visiting Waterfall, huh? Pretty nice here, huh?" Frisk stopped and looked at him.

"Actually, I'm just passing through, really."

"Oh. Yeah, the water's . . . getting a bit shallow down here. And, all my friends moved to the city. To aquariums. But, more room for me! Well, not really true, since the water's so shallow, I have to sit down." Frisk listened. Onionsan smiled as best he could. "But, Undyne's gonna fix everything! I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean!" Frisk stopped again and looked at him.

"You might want to rethink that. The ocean can be very dangerous, and some of the things living in it are meaner than you imagine. There's a good reason there's legends about sea monsters, and I'm not talking about your kind." Onionsan stopped and looked at him. Frisk smiled at him. "You might consider living in a lake, more. Safer, nicer weather, and you'd get to meet more people." Onionsan's eyes were huge.

"Yes! Yes, a lake sounds great! I'll have to tell Undyne I wanna live in a lake! Thanks!" with a splash, he was gone. Frisk smiled and headed out.

In the next room, he saw more small waterfalls here and there. As he walked, he saw a monster, huddled in the corner. He noticed it was shivering. Concern pinched his heart as he came closer.

"Are you okay?" he asked. The monster flinched, but remained silent. It looked a bit like a mermaid, its face hidden by its hair. There was a sad whine. From the voice, he guessed it was female. "What's wrong?" There was another whine. Frisk stood a few steps away, watching, and wondering how he could help. She said something to soft, he had to strain to hear.

"I . . . can't sing," was the soft reply. Frisk blinked.

"Many people can't. It's nothing to be ashamed of." There was another whine, bordering on a sob.

"But . . . I'm a Siren. What good is a Siren who can't sing?" Frisk frowned. He thought, and smiled softly as he hummed a sad tune. She looked at him over her shoulder, and hummed with him. "Si re, si re si mi si mi," she replied in kind. Frisk smiled wider, and hummed a slightly happier tune. She turned towards him fully, showing her face, and hummed along. He saw the soft smile, and hummed more. Her smile grew as she began to vocalize. Frisk smiled and sang himself, a gentle, uplifting song, that the greatest adventure was what lay ahead. Siren was truly smiling as she sang with him. Frisk smiled at her energy and happiness.

"What was that you can't sing? That sounded very lovely. I know what it's like to doubt yourself, to be shy. But those inhibitions can hold you back. Make no mistake, you have a lovely voice, and could make a lot of monsters happy." She smiled radiantly.

"Thank you. I will," she said shyly. He smiled as she left, looking happy. He felt warm inside, and felt his resolve strengthen.

As he moved on, he found more history plaques, and read them. What these ones said was interesting. They noted how, while a monster could take a human's soul, the reverse was not so, as they vanished from this plain as soon as they left the body. It would take an incredible power to take the soul of a living monster. Frisk frowned as he read that. He read the next plaque, and it said there was an exception, and that the souls of "Boss Monsters" were strong enough to persist after death, if only for a few, brief moments. It said it was possible for a human to absorb this soul, but it had never happened, and that it never would. Frisk knew, somehow, this was important. He took note of it and continued on to the next room.

The first thing he noticed was a statue, sitting in a pool of light with drops of water falling down on it. Something about it gave a feeling of sadness. Frisk walked into the next room, and noticed it appeared to be raining. In fact, it was droplets from the waterfalls, but it was very wet. He noticed a sign, next to a tin full of umbrellas. Frisk took one, and was about to head on, when he stopped and looked back. He opened the umbrella, walked back to the statue, and gently placed it in the hand of the statue. He stood back and smiled, seeing it not dripping with water. He was surprised when a music box began to play a song from inside the statue. Frisk stood there and stared. He didn't know why, but something about the simple, but beautiful tune touched something in his heart. He felt warm tears run down his cheeks. He wiped his face and headed out. He grabbed another umbrella as he went, the tune echoing behind him in the cavern.

He passed by several large waterfalls, rain pattering on the umbrella.

"Yo, you got an umbrella?" said the monster kid. Frisk gave a light start as he turned and saw the yellow monster run up to him. "Awesome! Let's go, dude!" Frisk smiled and shook his head. The two continued on through the rain. "Man, Undyne is _so_ cool! She beats up bad guys and never loses!" The monster kid was grinning as they walked. Frisk listened to him while paying attention to where they were going. "If I was a human, I'd wet the bed every night, knowing she was gonna beat me up!" Frisk flicked his eyes at him, then back.

"And, you think all humans are bad?" Frisk asked as they walked. The monster kid looked at him.

"Well, yeah! I mean, dude, they trapped us all down here, and did all sorts of mean stuff!" Frisk didn't look at him as he walked. Frisk thought on what he said.

Frisk, better than _anyone_ , knew how mean, how heartless, how evil humans could be. At the same time, he had known a few who were kind. Frisk reflected how, once, not long ago, Frisk himself thought the same as the monster kid beside him. So . . . when did that change? "So . . . like, one time, we had a school project where we had to take care of a flower. The King, well, we had to call him "Mr. Dreemurr", volunteered to donate his own flowers. He came to the school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff." Frisk looked down at the young monster, listening to his story. "That got me thinking . . . Dude! Wouldn't it be so cool if Undyne came to school?! She could beat up all the teachers!" Frisk stopped and looked at him, fixing him with a slightly stern look.

"Is that what you want? To see people who've done you no wrong hurt?" The monster kid took a step back, looking surprised. He lowered his head and looked a bit ashamed.

"Umm, well . . . No. Undyne's too cool to hurt an innocent person." Frisk looked at him.

"What about you?" The monster kid looked up at him.

"Huh?"

"You think all humans are bad, but how many have you ever met? How can you think a whole race are evil when you have never met a single one?" The monster kid lowered his head. Frisk smiled gently and put his hand on his shoulder. "Therein lies the seeds of prejudice. And that has been the cause of more pain, suffering and hate than you can ever possibly imagine, my young friend. There are some bad humans, yes. As I am certain there are bad monsters. Did you know there are some humans who hate other humans for having a different skin color?" The monster kid looked shocked.

"That's crazy, yo!" Frisk nodded, looking grim.

"Do you want to be like that? Would Undyne be proud of you hating others, for no other reason than they are different?" The monster kid shook his head. Frisk smiled. "Take each person on his or her own merits. Judge them not by their race, or color, but the color of their deeds. Does that make any sense?" The monster kid looked at him with wide eyes, and smiled.

"Yeah! It does!" Frisk smiled and motioned for them to keep going. The monster kid looked like he was skipping.

They walked past a huge underground lake, across which, was a huge city with a great castle. Frisk couldn't help a soft gasp as he stared at it. The monster kid looked with him. "That's New Home, where the King lives. Pretty neat, huh?" Frisk nodded. He had not seen a castle like that in so long. After a few moments, Frisk continued on, but was still awed by what the monsters had built.

The two came at last to a small cliff. Frisk returned the umbrella to the can of them, stood with his hands on his hips, and glanced around. It wasn't very high, but he frowned, wondering how he could get up there without a rope or something.

"Hmph, dead end, it seems," mused Frisk. The monster kid came up and looked up at the ledge.

"Maybe not, dude! Here, climb on my shoulders!" Frisk looked at him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah! Come on!" Frisk climbed on the monster boy's shoulders, and was just able to clamber up. He looked down at the young monster. "You go on ahead! Don't worry about me. I always find a way to get through! See ya later!" With that, he ran off. Frisk stood and headed on. Frisk found more plaques about the history of the Imprisoning War, and guessed this was one of the early places the monsters had lived, after their exile. He found a bridge at the edge of the cliff, made of wood, and noticed another bridge below it. He glanced over the edge, and wondered exactly where the other bridge led to, but put that aside. He headed across.

As Frisk crossed the wooden bridge, that same sense of foreboding came over him. He stopped and glanced around. There were no cliffs he could see where Undyne might be hiding, no place she could see him. He looked back behind him. Nothing. Forward was clear as well. So what, then . . .? Frisk saw the glowing spot on the boards just a millisecond before a spear suddenly erupted through. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding being skewered. More jabbed up behind him. They almost surrounded him, but he managed to dive through at the last second. He could hear Undyne's heavy, armored footsteps on the bridge below. Frisk darted and wove through the gauntlet, once feeling a spear take off a lock of hair. A solid wall of spears erupted where he had been standing, and Frisk leaped backwards in an impressive backflip.

He landed and darted forwards just as spears shot up from where his feet had been a few seconds earlier. He feinted, darted, bobbed, anything he could to try and throw her aim off. It worked most of the time, and the few it didn't, he narrowly avoided the spears. He could see the other side, doubled his speed, when he heard a heavy thud behind him. She was on the same bridge with him now. He glanced back, saw her rearing to throw a spear. He wove to the right, and had to jump when the boards exploded in a spray of splinters. He jumped to the other side, perilously close to the edge. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right side, heard the tearing of fabric, felt the warm feeling of blood. He gagged, blood flowing from his mouth and nose, the force of the impact carrying him over the edge of the bridge, and down into darkness.


	6. Chapter Six: Foreshadowing

**Chapter Six: Foreshadowing**

" _It sounds like it came from over here. Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you? Are you okay? Here, I'll help. . . . Chara, huh? That's a nice name. My name is . . ."_

Frisk woke with a start. He was laying, face-down in a patch of yellow flowers. Oddly enough, the same kind of flowers he had been laying in when he first fell down. He groaned, wiped his face, and found dried blood on his face. He wiped it, and sat up, his muscles complaining. He coughed as he got to his knees. He looked down at his shirt. It was cut, almost to the middle of his chest, the shirt stained with blood. The blue and purple-striped fabric was a wreck. He looked at his lightly-tanned skin through the hole.

There was not a mark to be seen, save for the dried blood.

"Huh. Must have been out at least three hours," he mused, getting to his feet shakily. Frisk looked around. He was at the base of a large waterfall, and there were huge piles of garbage. He groaned, rubbed his face and hair. He took a handful of water, and wiped the dried blood from his face. He then removed his shirt and inspected it. It was the only shirt he had, and while not any kind of fashion statement, he rather liked it. He sighed gently, put the ends of the fabric together, and placed his fingers over it, as if zipping up a ziplock bag. He closed his eyes, muttered a few words, and tried to focus as he drew his fingers along the damaged fabric. After almost a minute, he opened his eyes, and looked at his handiwork. The fabric was repaired, as if nothing had happened. He sighed with both relief, and weariness as he slipped the shirt on, wobbled a bit, and tucked it in. With a quick check of the cloth bag, and his other goods, he was relieved to find his shirt got the worst of it. With that, he waded into the water to continue his quest.

The piles of garbage he guessed were from the surface, as he recognized quite a few brands. He waded through the water, and saw things like old mattresses, a rusted bike, empty DVD cases, things he would not at all be surprised to find in a landfill on the surface. It was clear the monsters had been down there, as he saw a DVD case for an anime with claw marks all around it. He scratched his hair and wove his way through. He stopped, and even saw a mannequin or dummy, although it seemed to be a monster one, as the form was not human. He paid it little mind, and continued onwards. That was when he heard a splash. He whirled, expecting Undyne to have followed him, but there was no one there. He looked around and raised an eyebrow. Wait a minute. Where did the dummy go?

"Behind ya, stupid!" Frisk jumped and whirled. To his shock, the dummy was floating in the air, and it now had a pair of menacing, angry eyes. "Ha ha! Too intimidated to fight me, eh?! I'm a ghost who lives inside a dummy!" Frisk stared at this odd turn of events.

"Well, it's, ah, very nice to meet you," Frisk said, trying to be nice, but he had doubts he could resolve this peacefully.

"Ah, same here! 'Cause now I can take your soul!" Frisk got ready for a fight. The Mad Dummy danced around in the air. "With a human soul, I can cross the barrier! Then, I can fulfill my dream, and stand in the window of a fancy shop!" Frisk groaned at that.

 _Great. Him, in the window of a Macy's Christmas display . . ._ he thought with a shudder. The Mad Dummy glared at him.

"All that stands in my way is you! Human! Prepare to meet your end!" With that, smaller dummies popped out of the water, and launched glowing balls of, what looked like . . . cotton stuffing? Needless to say, Frisk dodged out of the way, and was surprised when they flew past, and hit the Mad Dummy, who helped.

"Ow! Hey, Dummies! Watch where you're aiming your magic attacks!" Suddenly, the Dummy froze, realizing what he said. "I, uh . . . Forget I said anything about magic attacks!" Frisk grinned at this. Physical attacks wouldn't hurt a ghost, but magic ones would! Frisk turned to the smaller dummies, and taunted them, sticking out his tongue and making faces.

"Nyah! You couldn't hit the side of a barn from the inside!" he taunted. They angrily launched a volley of glowing cotton, Frisk almost pirouetting out of the way, letting the Mad Dummy get hit by the full barrage.

"Agh! Dummies, knock it off! Hit _him_ , not me!" Frisk made more faces and taunted the dummies, and made a few choice insults about rotten cotton. Needless to say, it worked, and again, the Mad Dummy got the full brunt of it as Frisk dove under the water. Man Dummy screeched as he faced the smaller dummies. "Hey! Idiots! Remember what I said about not hitting me?! Well, guess what? _You're all fired!_ " he screamed. The dummies looked shocked, then glad.

"Fine by me!"

"Jerk!"

"Ingrate!"

"Slave-driver!"

"I wanted to be a hairdresser, anyway!" With that, the smaller dummies all stormed off. Frisk was surprised when the Mad Dummy laughed maniacally.

"Ha ha! If you think it's over, think again! Now, I'll show you my true power!" Frisk was surprised when mechanical whirs filled the room. Suddenly, instead of small dummies, Frisk was surrounded with small, toy submarines. Hatches on them opened, and small missiles popped out to aim at him.

"Uh oh," Frisk muttered. Mad Dummy cackled.

"Fire!" Frisk dove out of the way, only for the missiles to follow him. He wove back and forth, making the missiles fly off course, and into Mad Dummy with multiple bangs. "Ouch! Dummy-marines, you're as bad as the others! You nimrods!" Frisk dodged and avoided the missiles, and sure enough, he managed to land a few more hits on the Mad Dummy. "Agh! Okay, morons! Last chance! Final attack!" All of the subs launches their full load of missiles, and Frisk jumped, danced and twitched out of the way, Mad Dummy getting hit by most. "No way! These guys are even worse than the others!" Frisk looked at him and grinned.

"So hard to find good help, these days?"

"Bah! I don't need friends! I've got _knives_!" Frisk's eyes widened as he saw a huge butcher knife appear and fly at him. He dodged it, the knife splashing into the water. He looked up at the Mad Dummy, who looked . . . embarrassed. "And . . . I'm out of knives . . ." Frisk just stared at him.

" . . . Thumb war?" The Dummy looked at him funny.

"Argh! Whatever, whatever, whatever! I can't hurt you, and you can't hurt me! We'll stay this way forever! Ha ha ha!" the Mad Dummy cackled. Suddenly, drops began to rain down on him, seeming to cause damage. "Ah! What the-?!" More fell. "Agh! Aye! Acid rain?! Enough of this! I'm outta here!" With that, the Dummy flew away, leaving Frisk very dumbfounded. He looked up, and a familiar ghost floated down.

"Oh . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. You and your friend looked like you were having fun." Frisk smiled and wiped some dirt off.

"That's one way to put it. You don't need to apologize. I'm glad to see you again. You actually helped me out."

"Really?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Yes. And thank you for the wallet you gave me. It helped a bunch!" The ghost smiled.

"I'm glad." Frisk came forward and smiled.

"My name's Frisk, by the way. I never got yours.

"Oh . . . I'm Napstablook. I'm heading home. You can come with me, if you want . . ." with that, the ghost disappeared, then reappeared near the door. Frisk followed, glad to get out of the cold water. He followed Napstablook to his house, an odd house to be sure, but it looked cozy. Frisk followed the ghost inside. "You . . . Really came. I wasn't expecting that." Frisk smiled at the ghost.

"Well, of course I came. That what friends do." Napstablook looked very surprised by this.

"You . . . think I'm a friend?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Of course. You helped me out more than once, you're kind, considerate and courteous. Wish more people were like you." The ghost looked a bit embarrassed.

"Well . . . it's not much, but make yourself at home." Frisk smiled. The house wasn't as cozy as Toriel's was, but it was nice. Frisk noticed the ghost put on some headphones while seated at an older computer.

"You're a composer?" Frisk asked.

"Oh . . . no. I'm a DJ, sort of." Frisk smiled at Napstablook.

"That's neat. Have any tunes to play?"

They spent some time listening to some spooky music, and Frisk had to admit, it had a certain charm to it. After a brief visit, Frisk told his ghostly friend he had to go, but, if he could, would be happy to come back. This seemed to cheer Napstablook up considerably. Before Frisk left, he realized something. He turned and asked. "Hey, you ever heard of the Mirror of Elde?"

"I'm sorry, but no. Is it important?" Frisk sighed and nodded.

"Yes, but don't worry too much about it. I'm sure I'll find it." Frisk left, but felt much better.

He was surprised to find Aaron and Woshua outside. They looked like they were going to greet him, but froze when the sounds of one of Napstablook's Spooktunes drifted from his house.

"What the heck is _that_?" asked Woshua. Aaron shivered.

"I dunno, dude, but it's spookin' me out!" They both ran away before Frisk could utter a single word. Frisk stared for a few moments, before he chuckled and shook his head. He headed on. The sign for directions said to head east to get to "Hotland", so he followed the directions. Interestingly, it also listed a "Temmie Village", but didn't say where it was.

Frisk saw a sign for a shop, and decided it wouldn't hurt to see what was for sale.

"Whoa, there! Haven't seen a human in a _long_ time!" said the elderly, turtle-like monster. Frisk was genuinely surprised, as most monsters he met had no idea he was a human, or even what one looked like.

"You know what I am?" Frisk asked. The turtle laughed.

"Hard not to! I fought in the war!" This got Frisk's attention.

"You? Fought in the Imprisoning War?" The turtle laughed again.

"Wa ha ha! Surprised? Used to be a hero, back in the day! Gerson, the Hammer of Justice!" Frisk smiled and offered his hand.

"Nice to meet you. While I may be a human, I assure you I'm not here to cause trouble." Gerson laughed again.

"Wa ha ha! I know that, sonny! I've been hearin' all 'bout you! Little fella, goin' 'round helpin' folks, stuff like that." Gerson grinned at him. "Never thought I'd see the day when a human helped a monster! Wa ha ha!" Frisk smiled at this. He was getting excited. If anyone would know where the Mirror of Elde was, he would!

"Excuse me, but have you ever heard of the Mirror of Elde?" Frisk asked. Gerson grinned at him.

"I hear lots of stuff! If you're asking if I have it, sorry! Just what you see!" He motioned to the piles of items for sale. Frisk smiled and shook his head.

"No, but have you heard if it's here in the Underworld?" Gerson looked thoughtful.

"Hmm, can't say I have." Frisk sighed and looked around. He noticed that same symbol on the wall.

"What does that symbol mean?" Frisk asked. He had seen it everywhere, and he was pretty certain he saw Toriel wearing it.

"Eh? The Delta Rune? It's the emblem of our kingdom. The Kingdom of Monsters. Wa ha ha! Great name, huh?" Gerson laughed uproariously. "Our old King Fluffybuns can't name for beans! Wa ha ha!" Frisk suppressed a laugh. He knew it was not good to laugh at a King. Gerson calmed himself and wiped a tear away. "It predates recorded history. The original meaning has been lost to time, but we know the triangles symbolize us monsters, trapped down here. What the wings and circle symbolize, nobody's sure. Most think it symbolized the angel from the prophecy." Frisk looked at him.

"What prophecy?"

"There's an old prophecy, that says an "angel", who has seen the surface, will descend from above and give us freedom. Lately, though, folks have been takin' a bleaker outlook." Frisk looked at him. "Some folks have begun calling that circle the "Angel of Death". Harbinger of destruction, waiting to "free" us from the mortal realm." Frisk was quiet. It made him sad, but also thoughtful on what the prophecy could really mean. "But, when I see that little circle . . . I just think it's neat! Wa ha ha!" Frisk smiled as best he could.

"What about the King?" Gerson chuckled.

"Oh, King Fluffybuns? He's a friendly, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. If you keep walking around, you're sure to bump into him, eventually. Course, seeing that you're a human, that might cause a few problems . . . Wa ha ha!"

"Why do you call him "Fluffybuns"?" Frisk asked.

"Eh? Oh, that's a great story! . . . But I don't remember it! Wa ha ha!" Frisk almost fell over at that. Gerson laughed again. "Come back later, and I might remember it! This old noggin ain't what it used to be!" Frisk shook his head. "Oh, by the way, Undyne was looking for someone who sounds like you. Was just here, not too long ago." Frisk tensed anew at this. "I'd watch your back if I were you, kid . . . And buy something! It might just save your hide! Wa ha ha!" Frisk groaned softly and looked at Gerson's wares.

"Wouldn't happen to have any armor, would you?"

"Wa ha ha! Sorry, fresh out!" Frisk bought some tea for a little refreshment. Frisk then left. "Good luck! Be careful out there, kid!" Frisk continued onwards, and found a few more plaques. These explained the nature of the Barrier, and how a force equally seven human souls was required to shatter it. One human soul for each of the human spellcasters who created it. Frisk balled his fists as he read how the monsters knew this could never happen, as, at least when the plaques were written, there were no entrances or exits from the Underground. Thus, they would be trapped forever.

"Not if I can help it!" he growled as he continued onwards.

The next room was very dark, much more so than any others before. Frisk stumbled around a bit, falling over what turned out to be mushrooms that glowed when touched, serving as a kind of lantern. He was able to see enough to find the next set of mushrooms and light them. He continued on like this for a while, not quite sure where he was. He was so focused on trying to see where he was going, he didn't notice the sounds of soft footsteps.

" _hOi!"_ Frisk almost jumped out of his skin at the high, female voice. He turned, and saw an odd monster that looked like a combination of a small dog, a cat and a stuffed animal. "im Temmie!" Frisk smiled at the little monster.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Temmie squealed with glee.

"OMG! Humans . . . TOO CUTE! (dies)" Frisk blinked, as she really said that. Now, Frisk had seen and met some very odd beings in his time, but this was one for the record books. Temmie was so excited, she was quite literally shaking.

"Hey, Temmie. Looks like you met my little buddy!" said a familiar voice as Aaron appeared and flexed. Temmie's jaw dropped and her eyes seemed to bug out.

"NO! muscle r . . . NOT CUTE! NO!" With that, Temmie ran off. Even Aaron looked surprised.

"Was it something I said?" Frisk took off after her, following her down the dark paths.

Frisk ended up in a lit cavern, and he had little doubt where he was, as he was surrounded by Temmies!

"OMG! Human!" one squealed. Others squealed as well, and before he knew it, Frisk was on the ground, covered by the cute monsters.

"hOi! im Temmie! And dis is my friend, Temmie!

"hOi! im Temmie, and dis is Temmie!"

"awawawawah! Humans, such a CUTE!" Frisk laughed as they nuzzled, cuddled and tickled.

"Hi, I'm Frisk."

" _hOi, fwisk!"_ they cheered. The Temmies cooed and talked at a mile-a-minute in their _unique_ dialect. Even Frisk couldn't keep up. That said, they were just too cute, and he couldn't help smiling.

"Awawah! Human's so cute! Smels guds!" said one Temmie.

"Human has such pwety eezs!"

"Human such a niz! Mawry Temmie?" Frisk could hardly keep up with what they were saying, much less understand it.

"Hi, I'm Bob," said one in a very deep, clearly male voice. This made Frisk laugh even more.

"Nice to meet you, Bob." Bob nodded his head. Though he looked exactly the same as the other Temmies, he was quite different.

"Haven't seen a human in a really long time around here, so the girls are all excited." The Temmies cooed as they nuzzled Frisk.

"aWah! Human so sawft!" one cooed happily from where she was nuzzling into his shirt. Frisk looked at Bob.

"Hey, have any of you heard of the Mirror of Elde?" The ears of the Temmies all perked up.

"yOi! Go tu da Tem Shop! Temmie kno!" They squeaked and squealed as they helped Frisk stand and ushered him towards a door, where a Temmie in a striped shirt was sitting behind a painted cardboard box, surrounded by items to sell.

"Temmie! Dis human her, wanna talk! He lukin fur da mirror!"

"HOI! im Temmie, and welcom da Tem Shop! Wat human want?" she asked. Frisk was just barely able to understand her.

"Um, I'm looking for a magic mirror, called the "Mirror of Elde". It's very old, and I think it's down here. Have you seen it?" Temmie vibrated behind her counter.

"yayA! Temmie kno da mirror!" Frisk's heart leaped into his throat.

"You do?! Where?!"

"in da casl!" Frisk was excited.

"You mean in Asgore's castle?" Temmie nodded her head.

"yeA! Da mirror dere when flufy-wufy find it! Mirror pwety, but scari! Keng sad, and mirror hid!" Frisk noticed all the Temmies looked sad, their ears drooping.

"Why? What's wrong?" Temmie perked up and shook her head.

"Temmies pwomise nevr tell!"

"pwomise!" they all chorused.

"Sorry, we made a promise. It's not ours to tell," said Bob. Frisk looked at them and nodded. It was the best lead he had, and he was very grateful.

"Thank you all, so much. You have no idea how much you've helped me. If there's anything I can do to help you, just name it." The Temmies squealed and tackled him.

"Ya! Human can bui from Temmie! Temmie wanna go to colleg, but need muns!" Frisk sat up and looked at the can, that had some gold in it.

"So, you want to go to college, to learn, but need money, right?"

"YAH!" Frisk smiled and brought out his wallet.

"How much do you need?"

"Tem neds dis much muns!" she said and held up a card with the number two-hundred and thirty on it. He looked, and had just enough. He emptied it into her jar. Temmie's jaw dropped.

"WOA! Thas ALOT o muns! Can tem realy acepts . . .?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"It's a thanks for helping me." The Temmies squealed and danced around.

"OKs! Tem go to colleg and make u prouds!" Frisk smiled at Temmie before leaving.

"Just do your best," he said as he left. Out in the village, the Temmies were dancing and singing.

" _Da human cam, and was our fwind! He cam with muns, we sawz agins! Tu find da mir, he did sei, Temmie help find da wei!"_ It was all very cute, and it made him feel happy and warm inside, and that, no matter the hardships, it was all really worth it. He bid the Temmies farewell, leaving Temmie Village, refilled with Detemmination.


	7. Chapter Seven: Besties?

**Chapter Seven: Besties?**

Frisk now easily made his way back through the dark cavern easily enough. It seemed brighter than before. Maybe his eyes had gotten used to the dim light. Regardless, he continued on, managing to not trip once. Quite a feat, given how dim it was. Frisk wound his way through the darkness, including a room where the lights were continually dimming. While a bit annoying, he was able to get through it quite easily. He found himself in a watery cavern was was just as dark, but, thankfully, there was nothing to trip over. At the end of it, he found an Echo Flower. What it said, though, startled him.

" _Behind you."_ He whirled. Sure enough, there was Undyne, glowering at him as she stalked forward, her heavy, armored footfalls echoing in the cave. Frisk furrowed his brows. There was nowhere to run, and no way out except past her. This was going to get ugly. She stopped in front of him, and, to his surprise, spoke.

"Seven." He registered shock, not at her words, but that she actually spoke to him. It was a rather deep, but still feminine voice. "Seven human souls. With the power of seven souls, our King, King Asgore Dreemurr . . . will become a god." This shocked Frisk. Maybe the King wasn't as nice as his subjects believed. Toriel did warn that Asgore would kill him. "With that power, he will finally be able to shatter the Barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity. And give them back the suffering and pain we've been forced to endure." Frisk frowned. So, the monsters didn't just want freedom, but revenge as well. More of the pieces were falling into place. "Understand, human? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your soul, or I'll tear it from your body." He lifted his head and glared back at Undyne. He couldn't tell, with her visor down, but it looked like she was watching his eyes.

" _I'm beyond redemption,"_ Frisk replied flatly, as cold as an Arctic wind. She nodded her armored head.

"So be it," she replied, spear materializing in her hands. She charged forwards, Frisk standing his ground, but not at all looking scared. Indeed, he more looked like he was ready to fight, his brows furrowed, body tense, stance one of readiness.

"Undyne! I'll help you fight!" said the monster kid as he came charging out of some high grass. The monster kid looked at Undyne, then Frisk, excited. "Hey, you did it! Undyne is right in front of you! I've got front row seats to her fight!" He looked back and forth between the two frozen combatants. "Wait a minute . . . Who's she fighting?" Frisk couldn't say he wasn't surprised when Undyne grabbed the monster kid by the ear, and dragged him off. "Hey! Ouch! You're not gonna tell my parents about this, are you?" Frisk sighed and quickly looked for a way out, before she came back. He found it in the form of vines growing up the side of a cliff. He hurried and climbed them as quickly as he could, but knew it was only a matter of time before she was on his heels again. He had to keep moving. He made it to the top quickly, pulling himself up and cracked his neck and back as he got up.

Frisk found himself among many more Echo Flowers, and listened to the conversations and wishes, most of them were of monsters wishing to see the stars and sky, but one got his attention:

" _Where oh where could that child be? I've been looking all over for them."_ He was shocked. That was Toriel's voice! Oh, how wonderful it was to hear her sweet, kind, motherly tone again. His joy was short-lived, though, as another familiar voice followed.

" _Hee hee hee_ That's _not true. She'll find another kid, and instantly forget all about you. You'll_ never _see her again . . ."_ Frisk felt his face contorting at the sound of Flowey's voice, anger welling up inside. He leaned down and spoke clearly into the flower.

"Well see about that, stinkblossom!" he snarled before hurrying on.

Frisk was angry, not just at the nasty taunt, but the fact Flowey was following him and taunting him. Frisk's movements were angry and brisk. He fully intended, the next time he saw the cursed flower, he was going to rip it out of the ground and throw it into the nearest fire or garbage disposal. Frisk was almost stomping across the narrow bridge that lay ahead.

"Yo!" called a familiar voice. He turned, and sure enough, the monster kid was back, looking uncertain. "Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but . . . I wanted to ask you something. Man, I've never asked anyone this before, but . . ." He looked around and then back at Frisk. "You're a human, right?" Frisk smiled gently and nodded. "Man, I knew it! Well, I mean, I know now." The monster kid chuckled nervously.

"And? Do I scare you? Do you hate me?" The kid smiled.

"Nah! You're too nice!" The monster kid looked uncertain, his eyes darting around as he looked at hit feet. "But, Undyne told me "stay away from that human". Man, I'm so confused. Does this, like . . . make us enemies or something?" Frisk closed his eyes and sighed.

"That depends on what you want. Do you want to be enemies with me?" The monster kid frowned, still looking at his feet.

"Uh, not really. I kinda stink at that. Um, maybe you could, uh, say something mean, so I can hate you?" Frisk shook his head.

"No." The monster kid sighed.

"Great, so, like, I have to do it?"

"Not if you don't want to." Frisk smiled gently and put his hand on the kid's shoulder. He looked up into Frisk's eyes. "Follow your heart. What does it say?" The monster kid looked down, thoughtful.

"It says . . ." He looked back into his eyes. "You're not bad." They both smiled. "Yeah, what you said. I guess some humans are bad, but not you. You've been . . . really nice. I'd feel like a real turd if I called you an enemy." Frisk smiled and gently patted his shoulder.

"Follow your heart, my friend. It will never steer you wrong." The monster kid smiled and nodded.

"I should head home, now . . ." The monster kid turned and began to run across the bridge. As before, he tripped, but this time, something bad happened. He landed on a rotten board, which cracked and gave way, leaving him quite literally dangling by his shirt above an abyss. " _Help!_ " Frisk was in action as quick as he could, running across the bridge, diving forwards and catching the shirt of the monster, just as he slipped off.

"Gotcha!" Frisk heard thundering footsteps, looked up, and saw Undyne running at him. Frisk felt the monster kid slipping, and grunted as he fought to pull him up. "Hold on! Ugh!" Frisk could feel his feet slipping on the wet wood. "Hurry! Climb up!" Frisk yelled.

"I can't!"

"Yes you can! Use me like a ladder! Climb! Climb now!" Frisk slipped more. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He put it out of his mind. "If you don't climb, you'll die! Now climb, dammit!" Frisk almost roared, his voice filled with authority. The monster kid squirmed and wiggled around, Frisk trying to swing him up to grab the bridge. The kid slipped again.

"I can't!"

"Yes you can! Think of how sad your mom and dad will be if you die! Doesn't that matter to you?!" The monster kid looked at Frisk, looked into his eyes, he saw the emotion, saw the dedication, the the worry. Instead of a human, he saw a _person_. With a grunt of effort, the monster kid climbed up Frisk in several, short hops, using his teeth to grab his shirt and feet to hold on. After what seemed like eternity, he was finally back on the bridge, Frisk sitting by his side, breathing hard. Frisk sat and looked at him, smiling softly. The monster kid smiled back, but stopped when he saw Frisk's gaze harden and his smile fade. He turned, and Undyne was less than ten feet away from them. The monster kid got up and stood between them.

"Step off, yo! He saved my life! If you wanna hurt my friend . . . you gotta go through me, first!" He did his best to glare at Undyne. Frisk stared at him, silently awed at his courage. Undyne stared at them for a few moments, and then backed away, disappearing into the shadows. The monster kid sighed and turned to Frisk. "She's gone." Frisk sighed and nodded. He knelt next to Frisk. "You okay, dude?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Thank you." The monster kid nodded, all grins.

"What're friends for, man? You saved me, so I did the same! Ha ha. Feels good." Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Helping others is its own reward." The monster kid smiled at this.

"What's your name?"

"Frisk."

"Cool name, dude. I'm Shaun. Was nice to meet ya. But, uh . . . I gotta get home. My parents are probably worried sick about me." Frisk nodded.

"Just stay safe." Shaun was about to go, when Frisk called out to him. "Shaun!" He stopped and turned back as Frisk got to his feet. "Do me one favor, will you?"

"Sure! Name it!" Frisk smiled, but it had a sadness to it.

"When you get home, hug your mom and dad, and tell them how much you love them." Shaun stared at him.

"Uh, sure, dude. But, uh why?" Frisk looked tired, worn and . . . sad.

"Because, you never know how precious they really are . . . until you lose them." Shaun stared at him for a few moments. He smiled sadly, and nodded.

"I will. I'm . . . sorry, dude." With that, Shaun ran off, leaving Frisk alone on the bridge.

Frisk stayed there for a long while. He knew he should get moving, since Undyne was still after him. Frisk reached into the bag, fished out the cell phone, and called Toriel's number. He hoped, and prayed, but, once again, it just rang and rang. It never even went to voicemail. He sighed, letting his hand drop heavily to his side. A single tear dropped onto the boards. He looked for all the world, like a lost, sad, lonely little boy, which he truly felt like at that moment. He missed Toriel, he missed her dearly. His heart hurt, and he wondered why, and not for the first time, why Fate seemed to hate him so.

"I miss you, Mom . . ." he softly wept. He sniffed, wiped his eyes, and continued on.

Frisk crossed a few small bridges before he came to a huge crag with a hole bored through it.

"Seven souls," said a familiar voice. Frisk growled and looked up, where, sure enough, Undyne was perched on the top of the rock, looking down at him. "Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That's how many we've collected so far. Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, our world will be transformed." Frisk looked up at her. "But, as is customary to those who make it this far, I will tell you the tragic tale of our people . . ."

"You can save your breath. I already know it!" he shouted up at her. She looked down at him. "The humans attacked out of fear and ignorance, even though monsters never did anything wrong. They feared monsters would take their souls, so they attacked first. It was hardly a war, and more of a slaughter! Not a single human died, and they used their seven most powerful wizards to cast the spell that imprisoned you underground, and you've all been here, ever since! The reason why you need seven souls is to equal the power of the seven spellcasters who made the Barrier. Only an equal force can shatter it. But, because even every monster's soul combined is only equal to one human soul, there's nowhere near enough." Undyne seemed shocked.

"So, you know all about it. Good! So I won't have to waste my time with some dumb monologue!" She took off her helmet, and revealed her face to him.

She had blue scales, and fins on the side of her face. One golden eye glared at him with a baleful glow, the other covered by an eyepatch. A long red ponytail hung down her back. "You! You're standing in the way of everyone's hopes and dreams! Alphys' history books made me think humans were cool, with their flowery swordswomen, their giant robots and super technology! But _you_?! You're just a coward! Hiding behind that kid so you could run away again! And let's not forget that wimpy goody-two-shoes schtick!" Frisk growled at this. "Ooooh! Look at me! I'm making such a big difference by hugging random strangers!"

"Yeah?! I didn't see you lift a finger to help Shaun when he almost fell off that bridge! Hypocrite!" That seemed to make her mad, as her face became red.

"Shut up! What do you know?! Nothing! You're nothing but a criminal, human! Your very existence is a crime against us monsters, and I'll right it, by putting you out of our misery! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!" Frisk would tell her he was trying to free them, but he doubted she would listen, so he wouldn't waste the time, energy or breath. "I can feel everyone's hearts beating together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we're not afraid! When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! Now, human! Let's end this! Right here! Right now! I'll show you how determined monsters can be!" Frisk could hear the passion in her voice. He knew she would not listen, nor would she reason with him. There was only one way to resolve this.

"Fine then. Come on down and fight!" She grinned ferally.

"All right! Here I come Ngaaah!" she yelled as she brought up her spear and leaped down at him. She landed in front of him as Frisk circled to the right. She grinned at him wolfishly. "So, you finally stopped running away?" Frisk stared at her, betraying no emotion. "Any last words, human?"

"Not really, but- wait. Who's that big guy with the crown?" She stopped and looked behind her.

"Huh? Asgore?" She didn't see anyone, and realized what had happened. "Wait a minute! Hey!" She looked back as Frisk took off like a rabbit. "You coward!" she screamed as she dashed after him.

Frisk ran as fast as he could, and then even faster, hearing her thundering footsteps behind him, her roaring at the top of her lungs. "Stop running away, you little shit!" she screamed as she hurled a volley of spears at him. This time, though, Frisk did something she didn't expect. He grabbed one of the spears right out of the air, swept it around in an arc, knocking the other spears out of the air, and sending her own spear right back at her.

"Catch!" he yelled. She just barely avoided it, darting to the side. He hardly broke stride as he did this, and she had to give him credit, that was pretty good. Be that as it may, she was still angry.

"You're not getting away! Sunlight is just within our grasp and you're not gonna take it away from us!" she yelled as she dashed after him. Frisk pushed his legs as hard as he could, putting as much energy into them as he could spare, but he still could hear her gaining on him. He had to give it to her, she was pretty tough to keep up with him in that suit of armor. "You're just making this harder on yourself!" she panted behind him. Frisk heard more spears behind him, and he again plucked one out of the air, smacked the others away, and then threw it back, this time he hurled it upwards at the ceiling, where, sure enough, it dislodged some large rocks. Undyne just had enough time to look up as several huge boulders came crashing down on her. Frisk heard the noise, and stopped and looked back. He stopped when he saw what had happened.

"Oh no . . . What . . . What have I done?" He didn't mean to do that, he had only meant to throw the spear away. He was about to head back, when the rubble rumbled.

"Urgaaagh!" Undyne shouted as she stood up, a boulder the size of a Volkswagon in her hands above her head, not a scratch on her. She hurled the boulder over the edge of the ledge. She glared at him. "Nice trick, kid. But you'll need more than that to kill me." Frisk dashed off again, noticing how hot it was beginning to get. Frisk noticed a large sign that read: _Welcome to Hotland!_ He had hardly any time to pay it any mind, as, of all things his cell phone rang. Frisk panted as he answered it.

"Hey! It's Papyrus! I just thought that you, me and Undyne should all hang out sometime! I think you would make great pals!" Frisk glanced back, and saw Undyne gaining, glaring at him and drawing her finger across her neck.

"Uh, I'll have to take a raincheck!" Frisk yelled as he hung up. He doubled his efforts as he saw the cave ahead, and the lava everywhere. He dashed past a guardhouse, hardly noticing Sans napping there, dashing out onto a narrow, wooden bridge over a huge lake of lava. He was sweating from both the heat, and the effort. He could hear Undyne's foot steps, but they were further behind, and not as fast. Frisk kept going, running as fast as his legs could carry him, but he had his limits, and when he got to the other side, he finally stopped and caught his breath. He heard her behind him, and looked up.

Undyne was slowly walking on the bridge, panting, her face red, sweat pouring down her face.

"Ugh. Armor . . . so . . . hot," she groaned, falling face-first onto the ground, just a little past the bridge. Frisk watched, and, despite everything, he couldn't just leave her there to fry. He saw a water cooler nearby. He got a cup of water, ran back, and threw it over her face. Her fins twitched, her eye snapped open, and she stood up shakily. She looked around, looked at him, and her face got red again. She gritted her teeth, fins twitching and almost flapping, before she turned back, and stomped back the way she came. Frisk had to say, he was surprised, and had expected her to continue pursuing him until he either fought her, or she caught him. This came as a genuine shock. Frisk sighed, got himself a cup of water, and downed the whole thing. Frisk rubbed his aching legs before he continued on.

Frisk was more than a bit surprised when he saw a towering building that reminded him of laboratory buildings he had seen a few times. He also saw a pair of armored monsters, standing guard near a staircase. He saw them look at him briefly and grunt, before turning back to their guard duties. Frisk headed down the other way, and was surprised to find not only a river, but a boat with a hooded figure on it. He stopped and stared. He cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Hello."

"Tra la la! I'm the riverman! Or, am I the riverwoman? It doesn't really matter! I love to ride my boat! Would you like to join me?" Frisk looked at the boat, and the river.

"Um, sure I guess? Where are you going?"

"Where would you like to go?" Frisk thought. Suddenly, his phone range. He turned away and picked it up.

"Ah, Frisk! I'm heading to Undyne's! Come with me! I'm sure you and Undyne will be great pals!" Frisk slapped his forehead at Papyrus' proposal.

"Um, Papyrus, I really appreciate what you're trying to do but I really don't think-"

"It would mean the world to her, I'm sure. She seems kind of down about something, and I think making a new friend would be just the thing to perk her up! Also, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help you look for your mirror!" Frisk stopped and thought.

Undyne _was_ the Captain of the Royal Guard. If anyone would know about the Mirror of Elde, and where it was in the castle, she would. Frisk sighed gently, pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing full well he was walking into the lion's den. "Where is her house?" Frisk asked.

"In Waterfall! Do you know where the twin houses are? Where the ghosts live?"

"Napstablook's house? Yeah, I know where that is."

"Undyne's house is right next door! I'll be waiting for you there!" Frisk hung up and muttered. He looked up and gently stepped onto the boat.

"Waterfall, if you please."

"Tra la la! Then we're off!" With that, the boat rose out of the water, and took off. He was surprised both how fast the boat was, and how gentle and quiet the ride They arrived in Waterfall in record time. "Come again some time. Tra la la." Frisk nodded, got out and headed back into the breech.

XXX

Sure enough, Frisk found Papyrus standing in front of what, quite clearly, was Undyne's house, given the fact it was shaped like a fish-like creature.

"O ho! The human arrives! Are you ready to hang out with Undyne?" Papyrus asked, sounding excited. Frisk could hear some jarring piano music from inside, and swallowed

"As ready as I'll ever be," Frisk groaned. His sarcasm went over Papyrus' head as he gave Frisk a golden bone, wrapped in a red ribbon. Frisk took it and raised an eyebrow.

"I've got the perfect plan to make you two best pals!" Frisk wondered what Papyrus was cooking up. "Just stand behind me!" Frisk did as Papyrus asked, wondering just how bad this was going to get. The skeleton knocked on the door, the music inside stopping, much to the relief of Frisk's ears. It sounded to him like someone was bashing a dying cat across the keys, rather than playing piano. "Psst! Be sure to give her the gift. She loves them!" Frisk groaned as the door opened.

Much to Frisk's amazement, she was smiling.

"Hey, Papyrus! Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?" she asked, sounding happy. Frisk knew, though, that was going to instantly change the second she saw him.

"You bet I am! And I brought a friend!" Papyrus moved out of the way, and Undyne began to speak.

"Hi, I don't think . . . we've . . . met . . ." Yep, called it. The look on her face was a mixture of horror, shock, and pure hatred. Yes, this was going to suck no doubt about it. She glanced at Papyrus, who said nothing. Frisk inwardly groaned, wondering if she was going to wait until Papyrus had his back turned, or was going to gut him on the spot. "Why don't . . . you two . . . come inside?"

From the twitch in her face, Frisk had misjudged, this wasn't going to suck, it was going to suck _and_ blow. Papyrus followed her inside, and Frisk really considered heading for the nearest exit. With a heavy sigh, he entered the gaping maw of the fish-house. How fitting.

Inside, it looked far more like a normal house than he had been expecting. Tile floors, piano, table, giant sword. Frisk was glancing around, looking for possible escape routes and potential items to defend himself with.

"Oh, here, Undyne! My friend brought you a gift! All on their own! Psst!" Frisk sighed, rolled his eyes, and gave Papyrus the golden bone, who then handed to Undyne.

"Oh, uh thanks. I'll just put it with the others," she said as she opened a drawer full of them and dropped it inside. Frisk crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and shook his head. Undyne seemed to share the sentiment. "So, are we ready to start?" she asked.

"Whoopsy doopsy! I just remembered! I have to go to the bathroom! You two have fun!" With that, Frisk could only stare as Papyrus leaped through the window, shattering the glass. They both stared, silent for a long time. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Frisk wasn't about to be the one who broke the silence, no sir. Undyne groaned, looking at him. Frisk raised an eyebrow, looking at her sidelong.

"So why are _you_ here? To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? Is that it?" Frisk sighed at this, dropping his hands to his hips.

"No." She frowned, crossing her arms.

"The why _are_ you here?" Frisk was about to answer, when she stopped him. "Wait, I get it. You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? Right?" Frisk shot her a look that clearly said _are you nuts?_

"I'm here because Papyrus said you were feeling bad, and you're _his_ friend, and I couldn't let him down. But I'm not so stupid I think that, no."

"Well, good! At least we agree on something! Oh, let's frolic in the fields of friendship!" Frisk stared at her, arms crossed.

"You fried my sarcasm meter, you owe me a new one," he retorted. She glared at him.

"Love to see you make me, shorty!"

"Who're you calling so short he oughta have his own drawbridge?!" Frisk screamed, face red nearly steaming. Undyne looked amused, seeming to have finally found a button to push.

"Oh ho ho! A little hot under the collar there, kid? Good! Now you know how I felt! Now get out of my house!"

"Fine by me!" Papyrus came back, and tsked as he looked in the window.

"Dang, what a shame. I thought Undyne could be friends with you, but I guess . . . I overestimated her. She's just not up to the challenge. How sad." Frisk noticed an instant change in Undyne.

"Challenge?! What?! Papyrus! Ugh! Wait, he thinks I can't be friends with _you_?!" She laughed. "What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day!" Now, Frisk looked worried. What had Papyrus done? Undyne fixed him with a malevolent grin. "I'll show him! Listen up, human. We're not just going to be friends." Frisk began to sweat, but tried not to give any hint to the cold fear he was now feeling. He hoped beyond hope she wasn't going to say what he thought she was. She growled and chuckled, a very unnerving sound. "We're going to be . . . _Besties._ " Frisk felt a minor measure of relief, but only a bit. Undyne began to cackle. "I'm gonna make you like me so much, your whole world will revolve around me! It's the perfect revenge!"

Oh, what had he gotten himself into? Undyne smiled at him serenely, which was easily the single most scary thing she had done to him yet. "Why don't you have a seat at the table?" she asked, her voice entirely normal and kind. It kind of creeped Frisk out. He had been about to move, but glanced at the broken window. Undyne followed his gaze. "I can't believe he leaped through the window like that. Normally, he nails the landing!" she laughed. Frisk rolled his eyes. He hadn't thought it was possible, but he found someone more crazy than Papyrus. Frisk moved forward, and stopped when he saw the piano. He stepped forward and gently laid a hand on it. "Ah, one time, Alphys', uh, friend came over here and . . . all he did was lie seductively on the piano and feed himself grapes." Frisk gave a little shudder at that imagery.

"Thank you for that disturbing image . . ." he deadpanned. Undyne chuckled at that.

"I really don't like that guy, but, I admire his lifestyle." Frisk looked back at the piano. He walked around and gently caressed the keys.

"Do you play?" Frisk asked. Undyne looked surprised.

"Yeah. Do you?" He nodded.

"Not in a long while, but . . . would you mind?" She motioned for him to try.

Frisk took a breath, sat down, and let his hands gently fall on the keys. It had been a while, but he thought back, and his fingers moved on their own. Undyne watched, her eye widening as the young human began to play. It was a soft, gentle, but sad melody. Haunting, but beautiful.

"Wha-? What is that?" she asked. Frisk kept his eyes closed.

" _Swan Lake,"_ he replied as the eerie notes filled the house. Undyne watched as Frisk played the lovely, haunting and heartbreaking melody as if he knew it by heart, as if he had written it. She was stunned, not just at the lovely music, or the skill he played with, but the _passion_ he played it with, how his fingers would almost pound the keys at times, his head swaying with the music, hair flying, eyes closed, lost in his own world. Others, he hardly moved at all, but held a quiet passion, that was no less intense than before. He gently let the last notes fade away, his fingers sliding from the keys.

"Wow . . ." she murmured. Frisk sighed and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I'm a little rusty, but I haven't even touched a piano in years." She looked at him, stunned. He called _that_ rusty? She shook her shock off and smiled, motioning for him to sit down at the table. Frisk stood up from the piano, walked over and gently sat down. He glanced to his right, at the very large sword that sat against a wall. Undyne saw it, and grinned.

"Humans suck, but their history . . . kinda rules. Case in point: this giant sword! Historically, humans wielded swords up to ten times their size! Right?" Frisk glanced at the sword, noting all the inaccuracies to real Great Swords, but smiled and humored her a bit.

"It depended on the culture. Some humans preferred short swords for close combat, others longer ones for more range and power. Also depended on the time period. Swords like these were often used against cavalry, to break a charge." Undyne looked excited.

"I knew it! When I first heard that, I knew I wanted one! So, me and Alphys built one together. She figured out all the specs herself! She's pretty smart, huh?" Frisk smiled at this and nodded.

"Looks like she did a good job, all-told. The balance on these can be tricky for such a big sword, and an improperly balanced sword is little more than junk." Undyne looked impressed and nodded. He looked at her and smiled. "Did you know that William Wallace used one of these with one hand, and a shield in the other?" She looked genuinely surprised at this.

"No. Never even heard of him! Was he famous?" Frisk smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yes, he was. One of the bravest met who ever lived."

"Ooh! I gotta see about him! But, right now, how about I get you something to drink?" Frisk looked at her, and smiled.

"Some tea would be lovely."

"Coming right up!" She got down some boxes of tea. "Which would you like?" He saw one with a yellow flower on the box, and pointed to it. "You got it, buddy of mine!" Frisk smiled. She was laying it on a bit thick. He wasn't a fool, and knew it was really just a charade to show Papyrus she could beat his "challenge". He watched as Undyne put the teat kettle on the stove to boil. "It'll take a moment for the water to boil," she said over her shoulder. Frisk nodded, watching, just in case she tried to slip something into the tea.

As they waited for the water to boil, Frisk's mind was running over a myriad of things, not all of them concerning his current situation. His mind drifted back on his past. People he knew, friends he once had. All of them, gone forever. He was brought out of his reverie by the sound of the teapot whistling. He watched as Undyne poured the tea, added some sugar and creamer, and set it down on the table. "Careful, it's hot." He smiled and nodded, taking the cup and carefully blowing on it a few times, before taking a sip. It was very good tea.

"Thanks. This is pretty good tea." She smiled.

"Thanks. Nothing but the best for my _absolutely precious friend!_ " she cackled. He smiled and closed his eyes. "You know, it's kind of strange that you chose _that_ tea." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Golden flower tea. That's Asgore's favorite kind." This got Frisk's attention.

"Really?"

"Actually, now that I think about it, you kind of remind me of him." She grinned and cackled. "You're both _total_ weenies!" This actually got a bit of a laugh from Frisk. She looked down at her cup. "You know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid," she began. Frisk couldn't say he was surprised, but politely said nothing, just sitting and listening. "Once, to try to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore. Emphasis on _tried._ I couldn't land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back." Frisk's curiosity was piqued. He listened intently. She closed her eye, looking embarrassed. "I was so humiliated." She smiled at him as she opened her eye, then looking away, in memory. "Afterwards, he apologized to me and said something goofy: "Excuse me, do you wanna know how to beat me?" I said "yes", and from then on he trained me." Frisk saw the emotions in her face as she recalled those times. "One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down." He saw regret, anguish even, etched on her face. "I felt . . . bad. But he was beaming. I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked!" She looked happier, recalling a magical moment, intimate in her memory. "Anyways, long story short, he kept training me."

"And that's how you ended up the Captain of the Royal Guard," finished Frisk. She nodded.

"You betcha! So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight! Like . . . Papyrus." Frisk noted the worry, and sadness in her voice. "But, uh, being honest here, he's not really . . . I don't know if I can ever let him into the Royal Guard." Frisk nodded his understanding.

"He's too nice." She looked surprised at Frisk. "He should have captured me, he even almost killed me, but he couldn't do it. He'd never even hurt a mouse." Frisk sighed looking down at his cup of tea. "Some people just aren't cut out for jobs like that." Undyne closed her eyes, sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. He'd get ripped into little, smiling shreds." She looked at Frisk. "Don't tell him I said that!" Frisk shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Not my place, not kind, not fair. You have my promise." She looked relieved.

"Thanks. That's part of why I started teaching him how to cook instead. So, maybe he can do something else with his life." Frisk smiled and nodded. He was starting to have a much better picture of Undyne, and it wasn't quite what he was expecting. She noticed that, during their talk, he drank all his tea. "Oh, here, let me get you some more tea," she said, taking his cup, her hand just barely brushing his. Her scales were surprisingly warm. He looked down at the table as she took the cup. She reminded him of someone he knew once, so long ago . . . She suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute. Hold the phone! Papyrus! His cooking lesson! He's supposed to be having it right now!" Frisk looked at her, his alarm flaring up once again. "And if he's not here, than _you'll_ have to have it for him!" Uh oh. She jumped up onto the counter, knocking everything off in one motion. "That's right! Nothing's brought Papyrus and me closer than cooking!" Frisk's eyes darted to the shattered window, wondering if he could make it from where he sat in one, or two leaps. As it was, he never got the chance to try, as Undyne jumped over, grabbed him around the waist, and leaped back to the counter. "That's right! This cooking lesson is gonna make us closer than you could ever imagine! Afraid?!"

"Is there any answer I can give that doesn't result in heavy bodily injury and/or the loss of limbs?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

"Nope!"

"Thought as much. Lead on, Kemosabi." She set him down.

"Let's start with the sauce!"

"Pizza, or Philly Cheese?" he asked. She shot him an _are you stupid?_ look.

"Spaghetti!" She stomped her foot, and several tomatoes, onions and carrots dropped down from seemingly nowhere. "Now, envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now, pound them to dust with your fists!" Frisk closed his eyes, rolled up his sleeves, gently brought over a bowl, picked up a tomato, and smashed it into pulp over the bowl, almost every drop falling perfectly into the bowl. "That's it! That's the stuff! Ngaaah!" She pounded the others, splattering them, the counter and wall with tomato, onion and other healthy ingredients. He looked at her, and she looked a bit sheepish. "Uh, we'll scrape this into a bowl and finish it later. But now!" Another stomp, and a pot fell from the ceiling and a package of noodles. Where did she keep this stuff? "We add the noodles!" Frisk calmly walked over, filled the pan with water, whisked it over the the stove, brought up the box, tossed it in the air, the noodles falling out as he held the pot under them, every noodle falling perfectly into the water with hardly a splash. Undyne looked even more excited. "Yeah! Great! Now, he stir the noodles! As a rule of thumb, the more you stir, the better they are!"

" _Oui, mon ami!"_ answered Frisk.

"What?"

"Never mind," he said as he stirred vigorously, but just a tad slow for her tastes.

"Here, let me do it!" She used her spear of all things, Frisk standing back as it dented the pot, and even left a few holes, water sprinkling out in streams. "Oh yeah! That's the stuff! Now, for the final step! Turn on the heat! Let the stovetop symbolize your passion!" Frisk eyed her warily, not sure he wanted her and fire in the same area code, but did as she asked. "Yeah, let your hopes and dreams turn into a raging fire! Don't hold anything back!" Frisk turned the heat up, the flames roaring to life under the pot. "More! More! Hotter!" Frisk eyed her, once again rethinking his take on her, and thinking his earlier notion of her was not too far off the mark. "Here, weenie! Let me!" She turned it up higher, and Frisk smelled smoke.

"Um, I think that might be-"

"Shut up! Who's the teacher here?!"

"Sorry, but where's the fire extinguisher?"

"Huh? Why would-?" There was a sudden explosion of heat and flame. The next thing Frisk knew, the whole house was a raging inferno. Undyne stared at the destruction for a few moments, before sheepishly grinning. "Ah, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking." Frisk wasn't about to agree with her. She looked at him. "So, what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?" He gave her a _really?_ look. She sighed, looking defeated. "Ah, who am I kidding? I really screwed this up, didn't I?" Frisk, again, putting his wisdom to good use, didn't agree with her.

"I'd say we both share blame on this," he said evenly. She sighed again and nodded.

"I can't force you to like me, human. Some people just don't get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me . . ." Truth be told, he didn't really. He didn't hate her, and he didn't wish her ill, really. "And if we can't be friends, that's okay." He sighed and scratched his hair. "Because, if we're not friends, it means I can destroy you without regret!" This caught him off guard. He backed away from her, on guard again.

"Not this again . . ." he mumbled as she materialized her spear.

"I've been defeated, my house is in shambles. I even failed to become your friend. I don't care if you're my guest anymore! One final rematch! All out on both sides! It's the only way I can regain my lost pride! I'll even let you have the first move! Ngaah!" Frisk looked at her, gauging it.

"First move to me, eh? No holds barred?"

"Yeah! Gimme your best shot, kid!" Frisk thought for a second, arms crossed. "Well? What're you waiting for?!" Frisk shrugged.

"If you insist . . ." With that, he almost disappeared.

"What the-?!" She suddenly felt small, but rather strong arms grab her around her waist, legs wrapping tight. She was shocked when she felt deft fingers, that had expertly played the ivory keys of the piano, dance across her ribs and under her arms. Undyne began to cackle and laugh. "Ah! What the, ha ha! What the hell, ga fwah! Are you doing?! Hee hee!" Frisk was serious as if he was in deepest combat as he mercilessly tickled her.

"My secret finishing move: Tickle Jutsu! A Thousand Years of Laughs." Undyne fell to the floor, dropping her spear, laughing hysterically.

"No fair! You little dweeb!"

"We never agreed on terms of battle, and you agreed on no holds barred, so all is fair here," he said as he moved his fingers to tickle her sensitive belly.

"No! No, no, no! Hee hee! Not there! You, ha ha! This isn't a battle!"

"Of course it is. Do you submit?"

"Never! Hee hee!" Frisk hummed.

"Then you give me no choice than to unleash my secret weapon; Turbo-Tickle." Undyne nearly screamed when she felt his fingers begin to tickle under her arm and under her chin at the same time. She'd once again underestimated the human. Now she was paying the price! His fingers were a blur, and every time she tried to capture them, they danced away to focus elsewhere, making her a quivering wreck.

"Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! Hee hee hee hee! Stop! I can't take anymore!"

"Do you submit?" he asked as he used her own ponytail to tickle her sensitive armpits.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Yes! I submit! I give up! You win! No more! I can't take it! Hee hee!" Frisk smiled and let go of her. She continued to giggle for a few moments before she got up. She looked at the blue-eyed boy, who was looking at her with a soft, subtle smile. Now, looking at him, she didn't feel anger, but a soft, warm feeling in her chest. It actually felt . . . nice. He offered his hand, and she couldn't help a smile as she took it. "At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but what you did, how you talk, move, it reminds me of someone I used to train with." Frisk smiled at the soft tone to her voice. She smiled and shook her head. "Now I know you aren't just some wimpy loser." She looked at him and grinned widely. "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!" he actually smiled at this.

"And you're a strong, courageous warrior, with an even bigger heart," he replied.

"Uh . . ." She really didn't know how to respond to that.

"You also remind me of someone. Someone I knew, and loved dearly. So long ago . . ." Undyne looked, and she saw, for the first time, the pain behind those blue eyes. The hurt, the loneliness, they were all on full display, and then gone, just as quickly, like a snowflake in a fiery grip. Replaced by a neutral, calm look, but she had seen under that mask. And it hurt.

"Listen, kid. It looks like you and Asgore are fated to fight. Looks like there's no way around that. But, knowing him, he probably doesn't want to." Frisk nodded.

"I don't want to fight him, either. I don't want to fight anyone. There's enough pain, enough sorrow, enough death in the world. I'm not about to add to it!" She was surprised at his force, and the passion he said those words with. He smiled sadly at her. "There may be a way for me to help everyone, and no need for any more killing. Undyne, you are the Captain of the Guard, so, let me ask you; What do you know about the Mirror of Elde?" She gasped at the name. "So, you _do_ know it?" She looked away.

"I . . . I do. I know a bit. But we were told, specifically by Asgore himself, not to ever mention it to anyone. How do you know about it?" Frisk smiled.

"I have my ways. That aside, if I can find it, I can use it to free all of you guys, and then there's no need to use human souls, no need to kill or hurt anybody." She looked genuinely and truly shocked at this.

"You'd . . . do that for us?" He smiled and nodded.

"Only on the condition you give up on the whole "Wipe out humanity" plan. I may not like humanity as a whole, but I still don't want to see women, children and those who can't fight, or did anything wrong, killed or hurt. That's the kind of stuff the Nazis did." He fixed her with a look, that, for the first time, she saw a hint of danger in. She smiled and shook her head.

"Nah. I doubt Asgore would ever do something like that. He's too nice!" Frisk was about to speak, when a huge fireball exploded, reminding them they were standing in a flaming house. "Well, let's get out of this flaming house before we roast!"

Outside, they watched Undyne's house burn for a few minutes. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it? We'll have to hang out again some time! But, uh, after I find another place . . ." Frisk sighed and nodded. "I'll go hang out at Papyrus' place for a while. If you need me, I'll be there. If you wanna talk, just give him a call! Since I'll be there I can talk too! Well, see ya later, punk!" With that, she ran off. Frisk sighed, shook his head, and laughed. At the same time, it went better, and worse than he expected. With a light grin, he headed off for Hotland, his Determination stronger than ever.


	8. Chapter Eight: Hot Time in Hotland

**Chapter Eight: Hot Time in Hotland**

Frisk returned to Hotland via the River Person's boat. With the matter of Undyne settled, he was more at ease, knowing he wasn't going to have her hot on his heels, throwing spears at him every few steps. He looked up at the large building, with the word _Lab_ above the door. With the other way blocked by guards, Frisk had little choice but to head through.

Inside, the lab was dark, but even so, he could see machines everywhere. He walked past an escalator, and was shocked to see what looked like a security console, but what shocked him the most, was the fact that his image was displayed on the screen. Moreover, as he walked, his image on screen moved. He looked up and around, but didn't see a camera anywhere. He looked back at the screen. He moved away, and could see a desk, strewn with papers and books, but it was far too dark for him to see anything clearly. He heard an automatic door slide open. He turned as the lights switched on, and he saw he wasn't alone.

"Oh, my god," she said. The voice was female. She looked like a yellow lizard or dinosaur, wearing a white lab coat and glasses. She was hardly taller than he was, and didn't look dangerous. She looked flustered, fidgeting in place as she looked around. "I didn't expect you to show up so soon! I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and-" Frisk stopped her.

"It's all right, Ma'am. I dropped by unannounced and uninvited. I apologize. The fault is mine, not yours." She relaxed at this, but still looked a bit flustered.

"Umm, h-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys, Asgore's Royal Scientist." She looked a bit scared. "Oh, but I-I'm not one of the, um "bad guys"! Actually, since you stepped out of the Ruins I've been, umm, well "observing" you through my console." This surprised Frisk. "Your fights, your friendships, everything!" Frisk was genuinely surprised by this. He had no idea he was being monitored the whole time. Of course, that made sense. "I was originally going to stop you, but . . ." he watched as she blushed and looked a little sheepish. "Well, after watching someone on a screen, it kind makes you root for them, you know? S-so, ah, now, I'd like to h-help you!" Frisk gauged her for a few moments, and smiled gently.

"I would be grateful for any help I can get," he replied.

"Really?! Oh, uh, of course you would! Using my knowledge. I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way to Asgore's castle! I can get you there, no problem!" Frisk gave a sigh of relief. That would certainly help.

"That will most definitely help." She smiled, and then looked embarrassed.

"Umm, there's just one, tiny, little issue . . ." Frisk looked worried. She turned away and scratched her head. "A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. I originally built him to be an entertainment robot. Like, a robotic TV star or something, you know? Anyways, I recently was doing some upgrades, and decided to make him a little bit more useful, give him some small, practical adjustments." Frisk nodded, following, but her tone, and her hesitant nature was giving him a bit of worry. "Like, umm . . . A-anti-human combat features?" She looked embarrassed, nervous, and a bit scared.

"A human-killing robot? Just great . . ." he groaned, arms crossed, rolling his eyes. Of course.

"O-of course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided to remove those features! Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so . . ." Frisk stared at her.

"Meaning?" She gulped.

"Uh, that he's . . . now a . . . unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" Frisk slapped his forehead with his palm.

"Just beautiful," he groaned. Alphys looked chagrined.

"Um, hopefully, you won't run into him . . ." The room shook as there was a banging sound. Alphys looked around, but Frisk stayed where he was, face still covered by his palm. There was another boom. "Did you hear something?" Frisk didn't reply, staying still as a statue. More booms followed. "Uh oh . . ." The room went dark as the sound of a wall crashing was heard.

"Ohh yes! Welcome my beauties . . ." said a mechanical voice as a spotlight showed a large, rectangular robot. " . . . To today's quiz show!" Confetti sprinkled down from the ceiling and a large, neon sign lowered as multi-colored lights glowed and canned applause played. Frisk groaned and Alphys just stared in a mixture of shock, horror and embarrassment. "I can already tell this is gonna be a great show! Everybody give a big hand to our wonderful contestant!" Canned applause and cheers played as Frisk wiped his face with a groan. "Never played before, gorgeous?" Mettaton asked. Before Frisk could reply, Mettaton went on. "No worries! It's simple! There's only one rule: Answer correctly . . . or you die!" Frisk looked up at him, nonplussed.

" _Win, Lose or Die_ , right?"

"That's right! Looks and brains! I love it! So, let's get started! What's the prize for answering correctly?" Mettaton asked. Four answers, labeled A through D appeared, floating in mid-air.

"More questions?" Frisk asked in a deadpan voice.

"That's correct!" Alphys gave him a thumbs up from where she was standing slightly behind Mettaton. Frisk stayed where he was, arms crossed, looking almost bored. "Now, here's your fabulous prize! What is the King's full name?" The possible answers appeared, but Frisk answered before they all fully appeared.

"Asgore Dreemurr." Alphys looked surprised he answered so quickly.

"Terrific! You're on fire! On to our next question! What are robots made of?" Frisk looked at the answers, and none of them seemed to be correct, but Alphys was making a letter with her hands, a B. He looked, and saw that Answer B was _Metal & Magic_.

"Metal and Magic?"

"That's right!" Alphys gave him a thumbs up, and he smiled softly. "Too easy, darling? Well, we'll just have to ratchet it up a notch! What was the name of King Arthur's dog?" Alphys looked floored as Mettaton listed the choices: _A: Gwynn, B: Merlin, C: Kissy-Pup, D: Cafall._ Frisk grinned.

"Cafall!"

"That's right!" Alphys stared in amazement. "Don't get comfy, darling! What was Mozart's first composition?" Frisk smiled as the choices appeared: _A: Ode to Joy, B: Symphony No. 5, C: Andante in C, D: Swan Lake._

"Andante in C," Frisk replied confidently.

"That's right!" Alphys stared in shock.

"Oh my god . . . I never even heard of either of those . . ."

"No slouching now! What was the name of the frozen swamp in _Dante's Inferno_?" Alphys was almost shaking. She had absolutely no idea what he was even talking about. Frisk grinned as the choices appeared: _A: Oberon, B: Acheron, C: Infernis, D: The Really Cold Spot._

"B: Acheron!" Alphys could only stare at yet another right answer.

"Oooh! We've got a real live one tonight folks! Okay, let's play the memory game! What monster is this?" He showed a partial picture that looked like Froggit, but Alphys desperately signed shook her head at the choice for Froggit, _A_ , instead urging him to choose _D_ for Mettaton. He frowned, but noticed something was off about the picture, and did as Alphys suggested. The picture pulled back, revealing Mettaton wearing a t-shirt with Froggit's picture on it. "I'm so flattered you remembered!" Alphys beamed and gave him a thumbs up. He smiled at her.

"Keep them coming, Metal Man!"

"You got it! What is the speed of light?" Alphys actually had to think on that one.

"Six-hundred and seventy-one million miles an hour."

"Right again! Ooh, you're just soaring, darling! But, don't get too confident. This next one's a doozy! What is the tallest mountain on Mars?" Alphys stared at him, and looked at Frisk, looking totally lost. Frisk crossed his arms and frowned as the answers appeared: _A: Mt. Ebott, B: Mt. Way-Too-High, C: Olympus Mons, D: Mt. Mara._ Frisk nodded.

"Olympus Mons is the answer." Again, Frisk was right.

" . . . I didn't even know that . . ." Alphys muttered.

"O ho ho! We've got a budding star here! Well, here's an easy one for you: Would you smooch a ghost?" Frisk blinked at that. He looked, and all the answers were the same: _Heck yeah!_ He looked at Alphys, who shrugged.

"Um, D, I guess?" Another correct answer, but that one threw him a little.

"Great answer! I love it! Now, here's a simple one: How many letters in the name "Mettaton"?" Unfortunately for Frisk, the number of letters began to grow longer and longer. Alphys hurried and signed C for 70, which Frisk gave quickly. "Of course that was easy for you!" The quiz show continued, and while his life was at stake, Frisk was actually having fun. "Now then. In the dating simulation game _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_ , what is Mew Mew's favorite food?" Frisk's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. That was one answer he didn't know. He'd never even heard of that. Quite luckily, help came from the most unlikely source. Alphys jumped up and down excitedly.

"Oh! Oh! I know this one! It's snail ice cream! In the fourth chapter, everyone goes to the beach, and she buys ice cream for all her friends, but it's snail flavored, and she's the only one who wants it!" She sounded so excited. "It's one of my favorite parts of the game because it's actually a very powerful message about friendship, and . . ." she looked and saw Mettaton with his hands on his hips.

"Alphys, Alphys, Alphys . . . You're not trying to help our contestant, are you?" She looked nervous. "Ooooooooh! You should have told me! I'll ask a question you'll be _sure_ to know the answer to!" She broke out in a sweat, looking like she was about to panic, or faint. "Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?" Frisk's eyes widened as Alphys frantically shook her hands at him. He stared as the choices materialized in the air: _A: Undyne, B: Asgore, C: The human, D: Don't know._ Frisk stared, not sure what to do. He didn't want to humiliate Dr. Alphys, but his neck was on the line. That aside, he really had _no_ idea who she had a crush on. He just met her. He knew he had only a twenty-five percent chance of picking the right one, but he had to try. He was shocked when Mettaton boldly flashed the letter A on his chest. Frisk looked at Alphys.

"Undyne? Really?" She blushed and hid her face in her hands.

"Yes indeedy!" chimed Mettaton, sounding pleased and mischievous. "She scrawls her name in the margins of her notes, she names programming variables after her. She even writes stories of them together, sharing a domestic life. Probability of crush: one-hundred-and-one percent. Margin of error, one percent." Dr. Alphys looked ready to burst into flames from her blush. Mettaton wheeled in front of her. "Well, well, well. With the good Dr. helping you, there's no dramatic tension! We can't go on like this! But, _buuuuuut!_ This was just the pilot episode! Next time, we'll have more drama! More Action! More romance! More bloodshed! Until next time, darlings!" With this, he folded his arms inside, and retracted his wheel, flames spewing from a rocket underneath him. _"Mettaton, awaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"_ With that, he launched up, crashing through the ceiling, leaving another gaping hole.

Both Frisk and Alphys stared for a long moment at the whole where he had vanished. She turned to him and smiled uneasily.

"Well, that was something." Frisk looked at her, eyebrow raised, arms crossed, head tilted to one side. She chuckled, embarrassed. He sighed gently and shook his head as he turned to go. "Wait, wait!" He stopped and turned back to her as she ran up to him. "I-I still want to help you! Here, let me give you my phone number!" Frisk smiled and brought out the cell phone. Alphys' jaw dropped. "W-where did you get that?! It's ancient! It can't even receive texts!" Frisk looked at the old phone. Sure, it wasn't state-of-the-art, touch screen or any of that, but it had grown on him. "Here, I can upgrade it for you!" Frisk looked hesitant.

"Will it keep the numbers I have saved? They're kind of important." Alphys nodded.

"You bet! I'll just be a minute!" She took the phone and hurried away into her lab. Frisk looked around, but was startled by the sounds of machines whirring, a cat screeching, and other odd noises. Was that a moose he heard? She scampered back in record time. "Here! I put a keychain on it for you, and it can use my special sub-space storage system, too! It can send and receive texts, and it now has a camera!" Frisk looked at the phone in awe. It now had a camera lens on the back, and a few new keys. It looked like she even cleaned it up good, as it looked almost new now. "I also signed you up for UnderNet! The Underground's number one social network! Now we're officially friends!" Frisk looked at her and smiled.

"One does not need some social media site to be friends with someone. Thank you, Dr. Alphys. I appreciate any help I can get." She looked embarrassed at this. She twisted the hem of her lab coat, looking flustered.

"I, um, well. You're, ah . . . Welcome." She chuckled. "I, uh, have to use the bathroom!" she hurried off. Frisk shook his head lightly. She was kind of cute with her shyness. He understood, looking at the upgraded phone before putting it in his pocket. He glanced at her work desk, and saw many empty cups of noodles and soda cans, along with scientific notes on various things. He smiled at the little anime statue of a woman with cat ears. With that, he headed for the back door of the lab.

Frisk had hardly stepped out the door when the phone beeped at him. He brought it up, and it announced that Alphys had updated her status. Whatever that meant. He looked at the small screen, and it displayed windows for a web browser. It displayed the UnderNet, and Alphys' latest post:

 _I just realized I didn't watch Undyne fight the human._ Frisk stared. He was new to social media, having never seen a need or use for it before. He never had an opportunity to use it before, either. He went a few steps, and it beeped again with another status update: _Well, I know she's unbeatable, so I'll ask her about it later._ It ended with a cute smiley face. Frisk chuckled and shook his head. It was cute, no doubt. Frisk followed the path, and began to see pipes, vents and other machinery everywhere. This was likely where the monsters got their power. Geothermal energy made sense underground. There was another beep, and another status update. Did the thing just keep going like that? _For now, I gotta guide the human! I'll call them in a bit!_ Another cute smiley ended it.

Frisk came to a huge cliff, overlooking a huge pool of magma, giant gears and pistons working, jets of steam and flame everywhere. It was amazing to see. As he moved to go forward, there was another beep and update: _I hate using the phone! LMAO My claws are shaking!_ Frisk blinked at that. He hadn't thought she was that shy. He smiled, and continued onwards. He stopped when he saw some large gaps, and steam vents with arrows on them. Frisk watched, and, having a hunch, he stepped on, and was promptly shot over the gap with a whoosh. He couldn't help a grin. Sure, he was being hurled over boiling magma by steam vents, but it was a bit fun. Frisk traveled through a few rooms like this, not too surprised to meet a few new monsters, but, like most of the others, they were rather nice. Well, most were, but that plane-shaped one was a bit odd, with the way she acted.

Frisk came to a room with a long walkway of pipes and a set orange lasers over it. He glanced at them, wondering if they were merely alarms, or, and more likely, a trap. As he was about to move forward, his phone actually rang. He picked it up and answered.

"Oh, the lasers are color-coded. The blue ones will not hurt you if you stay still, but orange ones, well, you have to be moving, otherwise-"

"They cause damage, right?" Frisk asked.

"Yes. So, umm, that's it. Uh, bye!" With that, she hung up. Frisk was about to walk through the orange lasers, when Alphys updated her status: _OMG, I did it! Claws haven't shaken that bad since Undyne called me to ask about the weather . . ._ He smiled and shook his head as he passed through the lasers, stopping to let a blue laser pass over him harmlessly. Frisk managed to get past without incident, thankfully.

Frisk came to a crossroads of sorts, with steam vents allowing access to east, west and north, but the north one seemed deactivated. He was surprised when Alphys called. He answered the phone as he glanced around. "Okay, the northern door will stay locked until you solve a pair of puzzles to the east and west," said the Dr. Frisk looked back and forth. "I think you should try the one to the west, left, first." Frisk nodded and headed that way. Outside the door, he met a few monsters mulling around, and a blue laser blocking his path. "Hold up, I'll hack into the security grid and disable that laser! Hold on a sec!" There was a pause, some typing keys, and the laser deactivated. Frisk smiled.

"Thanks, Alphys." There was an embarrassed chuckle before she hung up. Frisk saw a pair of flame monsters milling around by the door. One of them dressed like a schoolgirl in a sailor uniform.

"Finally! Someone turned off that laser! It just turned on all of a sudden."

"Yeah! We were hanging out when all of a sudden, lasers and puzzles activated everywhere!" Frisk noted that, and thought it a little odd. He made a mental note of it, and headed inside the door to solve the puzzle. Said puzzle resembled an old arcade game more than anything else, with him having to move blocks out of the way and shoot an energy pellet at a target at the top of the mechanism. It took a few moments, but he was able to figure the solution and solve it easily enough. Frisk exited and crossed the other way, and found a pair of monsters lounging around, talking about Mettaton's show. He went inside, and found this puzzle was even easier than the first, and solved in two moves. He returned to the central chamber, and the door opened when he approached.

Frisk passed through a room of steam vents without incident, and came to a dark room. It was odd, as it felt a bit cooler than the rest of the areas he had been. He also noted that his footsteps on the floor also sounded different. Alphys called.

"Why're all the lights off? Here, lemme just hack into the power grid, and . . ." The lights switched on, revealing Frisk was standing on a set of a kitchen, like those in TV shows. Lights were on, and even several cameras. "Oh, no."

Frisk watched as Mettaton hovered down, wearing a chef's hat.

"Oh, yes, beauties! Welcome to the Underground's premier cooking show!" Mettaton grandly motioned to a glowing title that appeared in the air: _Cooking with a Killer Robot._ Frisk just stood and watched, somewhere between shocked, embarrassed, and amused. "Pre-heat your ovens, darlings, because we've got a special recipe for you today! We're going to be making a cake!" Frisk rolled his eyes. How original. Mettaton proudly motioned to Frisk. "My lovely assistant will help me by gathering the ingredients! Everyone give them a big hand!" Confetti fell and canned applause played. Frisk lightly huffed, and then thought of a way to make things more interesting, and smiled to himself. "Now then, first we'll need milk, eggs-" began Mettaton

"A cup of cinnamon," said Frisk.

"Yes, some cinnamon," Mettaton said, not at all noticing the sly grin on Frisk's face.

"A quart of peppers," Frisk put in.

"Peppers, yes," said Mettaton, not seeming to pay attention.

"Bologna," said Frisk, trying to keep from smiling or laughing.

"Can't forget that." Frisk suppressed a snicker.

"A bottle of scampi sauce," Frisk said in a perfectly normal tone, Mettaton grabbing everything he listed.

"Just what it needs!"

"Worms and plastic minnows," said Frisk. Mettaton was busy grabbing things from under the counter.

"Yes, we can't- _wait a minute!_ " Frisk fought a grin. Mettaton looked at him, not seeming pleased. "Oh ho ho! You sly dog! I see what you're up to!" Frisk stayed where he was, arms crossed, looking amused as Mettaton adjusted his hat. "This is no cake! This . . . is a quiche!" More canned applause played, Frisk looking a bit surprised. "Beauties, my wonderful assistant has given us an even better recipe! If you think that cake would be something, worry not! Because this quiche will be out of this world! Now that we have everything we need . . ." Mettaton gathered up everything, even the odd ingredients Frisk had suggested, put them all in order on the counter. "We'll just get started-oh, wait! We still need on last ingredient!" Frisk raised an eyebrow as Mettaton brought up a chainsaw. "A human soul!" With that, the robot revved the engine of the death machine. Frisk held up his hand.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it! You can't do that on daytime TV! There's kids watching. Don't want the little tykes to have nightmares, do you?" At this, Mettaton put the chainsaw away.

"You're absolutely right! Darlings, make sure you keep an eye on what your little sweeties watch! Good parenting starts with you!" Frisk nodded his agreement. "Besides, I'm sure some of my wonderful viewers out there might be allergic! So, we'll go back to plan A." Mettaton brought up a lovely cake with pink icing and delicate, doily-like designs in cream on it. "Here we have our wonderful cake, all made up! You can find all the directions on my website, beauties!" There was more canned applause. "A big round of applause to my wonderful assistant and the wonderful Dr. Alphys! Until next time, beauties!" With this, Mettaton once more rocketed off. Alphys called just a few seconds later.

"Wow! You . . . you did it! I-I don't even . . ." Frisk smiled gently as the lights dimmed and he walked off the set.

"I was more playing it by ear, but thanks. But you helped a lot, too."

" . . . I . . . I-I did?" Frisk nodded.

"Yes. You've been a big help so far." There was an embarrassed but pleased squeak from the other side, and she hung up. Frisk smiled and continued on.

Frisk exited the studio, and was greeted by a huge, ominous machine in the distance. It was bigger than most buildings. The bottom, a series of huge pipes and tubes, disappeared into the molten magma. It was a rather impressive sight. Alphys called just then.

"See that big structure in the distance?"

"Kind of hard not to," he quipped.

"That's the _Core_ , the source for all the power of the Underground! It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity!"

"Really? That's amazing. Does it use Elsian reverse-isolation?" he asked. Alphys was silent.

"H-h-how did you-?" he chuckled.

"Call it a guess."

"Um, anyways, there's where we're headed. There's an elevator directly to Asgore's castle inside. And from there, you should be able to . . . go home . . ." Frisk looked at the Core, looming in the distance, before he realized he wasn't just looking for a way out.

"Wait, Alphys! Do you know-" she had already hung up. He sighed, looking back, and made a note to ask her about the mirror later. He put the phone away, and continued on. He came to an elevator for the core, and hit the button. As the elevator hummed and moved, he thought on everything that he had seen thus far. He stood with his arms crossed, thinking on how far he had come, and wondered what was ahead. There was only one way to find out. The elevator stopped with a ding, the doors swishing open, as he was suddenly grabbed by a pair of arms and snatched out of the elevator.


	9. Chapter Nine: A Mettaton of Trouble

**Chapter Nine: A Mettaton of Trouble**

Frisk found himself in what looked to be another studio, but this one had a hardwood floor, black backdrop, and, of all things, a canvas and easel. A wheeled cart, with a palette and tubes of paint and brushes sat next to it. Frisk stared as Mettaton appeared, this time sporting a ridiculous brown Afro.

"Welcome, darlings! Welcome to that most wonderful and sublime show!" Mettaton bowed as the title appeared: _Painting Made Easy with the Killer Robot._ Frisk stared for a few moments as Mettaton put a beret on his head. "Today, my beauties, we're going to be painting a picture of a pretty little cottage in the woods! Isn't that lovely? My assistant is going to help me! Now then, let's get all our tools to hand!" With this, Mettaton picked up the palette, and squeezed some tubes of oil paint onto it, arranging them according to color. The robot picked up a large brush, dabbed it into some thinner, and then the blue. "Now, we start on a prepared white canvas with MTT-Brand Gesso on it! This makes the paint slide around like oil on water! Now, we start with a heavy coat at the top, and let it get nice and thin at the bottom!" Mettaton started to paint, and Frisk wasn't too surprised when clouds, trees, flowers and other things seemed to appear magically on the canvas, without any further motion from the brush. Mettaton hummed as he painted. "The key, darlings, is to overlap the strokes just a tiny bit! Don't be shy, here! Be bold!" Mettaton gave a few dabs, and more trees sprouted up on the canvas. Frisk was actually very interested.

While Mettaton was no Holbein or Rembrandt, he was certainly talented. He was keeping the shadows all on the right side, and accounting for darker shadows towards the back of the painting, not to mention his good attention to perspective as well, the trees not only getting smaller, but being slightly blurred as they receded into the distance. "Don't just stand around and stare, beautiful! Viewers, it's important that you keep your brushes clean! My assistant will demonstrate!" Frisk was handed the brush, and looked at the small can, about the size of a paint can, that was labeled _dirty._ Frisk carefully went over and submerged the brush, brushing it against a screen in the bottom of the can before handing it back to Mettaton, who took it with a flourish. "Perfect! Now, we're almost done! We just need to add one, last touch . . ."

Frisk jumped back as Mettaton swiped at him with a huge halberd, coming very close to taking his head off. As it was, his beret ended up sitting on the massive blade. "Don't worry, darling! You know what they say about dying for your your art . . ." Mettaton said ominously as he closed in. Frisk looked around, seeing how cramped it was. This was not going to be an easy fight, not at all. Suddenly, Mettaton himself began to ring like a phone. He stopped. "Um, excuse me, let me get that . . ." he pressed a button on his chest. "Hello? I'm kinda in the middle of something here."

"Wait! Um, isn't it, ah . . . pretty as it is?" asked Alphys. Mettaton stopped.

" . . . You really think so?"

"Of course! It's lovely just as it is! Adding anything else might . . . um, spoil it, he he?" Mettaton was silent.

"You're absolutely right, Alphys! Oh, how we suffering artists often destroy that which we love!" Mettaton dramatically dropped the halberd and grabbed his chest. The robot took off the Afro and looked at the camera. "Well, that concludes another fabulous episode, beauties! Tune in next time for more painting pleasures!" With that, Mettaton zoomed past Frisk and was gone again. Alphys called him not two seconds later.

"Oh my god! I can hardly believe that!" Alphys exclaimed.

"Yeah, thanks. You really helped. He kind of fooled me there," Frisk sighed gently.

"I, uh, well. You're welcome! We . . . we did great out there!" Frisk smiled at this.

"Yes. Thank you for your help." He then continued on, heading deeper into the core.

Frisk met a few more monsters on the way, and while all fire-based, they all were friendly. However, when asked, none of them had ever heard of the Mirror of Elde, and Frisk was fairly certain it was being kept a secret from the majority of monsters. What he couldn't figure out was why? They couldn't use it, anyway. Frisk recalled the Temmies saying something about the mirror being scary. What did they mean? He thought as he walked. Not much was known about the mirror, and while it was known to grant wishes, the true nature of its power was unknown. Frisk was brought out of his reverie by the phone ringing. He picked it up as he came to a room with two conveyer belts, a series of switches and an electric barrier barring the doorway forward.

"This puzzle is a bit tricky! You have to throw all three switches within three seconds! I can help you with the timing." Frisk looked at the three buttons, and the rather fast conveyer belt. He took a breath, stepped on, and quickly moved to press the switches. He managed to press two, but missed the last one. He grunted as he was carried past onto the rock. "Don't worry, you can just try again and then . . ." she stopped when the barrier disappeared. "Umm, I guess you only needed to hit . . . two of them?" she said sheepishly. Frisk chuckled.

"Thanks for the help, anyways." He heard a shy "eep" as she hung up. He smiled and shook his head. Dr. Alphys was a nice lady, just a bit shy, and lacking confidence. There was nothing wrong with that. He continued on, and stopped when the phone announced another status update. He brought it up and looked.

 _OMG! People think Mew Mew 2 is better than Mew Mew 1? LOL That's a joke, right? Don't they get that it ruins Mew Mew's entire character arc!_ She then went into a deep review of the new installment, and it was not at all glowing. Frisk chuckled and headed on, but amused.

He was about to round a corner when two voices stopped him.

"Hey, wait!"

"Stop!" He turned, and was more than a bit worried when he saw the two, hulking, armored guards from earlier running up to him. "We received, like, an anonymous tip about a human in a striped shirt running around," said one guard. "They said they were in Hotland right now." Frisk's eyes widened a little bit. Who of the monsters who knew he was human would sell him out? Since not many had caught on, the list was small, so he thought on it.

"Sounds scary, huh?"

"Just stay chill, and we'll bring you someplace safe, 'kay?" Frisk blinked. They motioned for him to follow, which he reluctantly did, looking for the first opportunity to escape. Sadly, he didn't have the time, as the guard with the frilled helmet stopped. The one with the rabbit-ears on his helmet stopped and looked at his friend. "What is it, bro?" he asked.

"A striped shirt . . ." They stopped and looked at Frisk, who saw instantly this wasn't going to end well. They looked at each other and sighed.

"Bummer. Now we've, like, got to kill you and stuff," said the first guard. They both drew their swords. Frisk sighed, and instead of running, stood his ground.

"Why? Why do you have to kill me?" Frisk asked.

"Because the King said!" replied the dragon-like guard.

"If he ordered you to hurt children, would you?" Frisk asked. This got their attention, and quite obviously made them mad.

"No! Man, that's what cowards do!" The rabbit-like guard looked at his friend.

"Um, bro . . . doesn't _he_ look like a kid?" The other guard stopped and looked at Frisk.

"Uh . . . well . . . But, he's a human. How do we know what human kids look like?"

"Good point." Frisk frowned at this, but more in a tired manner.

"Look, I don't want to fight either of you. Besides, I'm unarmed. Don't you think it at least a bit unfair to attack someone who has no weapon?" Again, they stopped and looked at him.

"Bro, he is kinda right. He hasn't got a sword, or nothing," said the rabbit-like guard. The other guard looked at him, then at Frisk.

"Um . . . Wait, here," said the dragon-like guard as he tossed Frisk a dagger, which landed in the dirt. Frisk just crossed his arms and looked at them.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to fight you." They both groaned. The dragon-like guard huffed.

"Agh, it's too hot for this," he said as he removed his breastplate, revealing his muscled, scaled torso. The rabbit-like guard looked flustered. Frisk walked forward, and both guards looked ready to fight, but the first one was still flustered. He looked up at them.

"You both look like nice guys, and you don't seem to want to hurt anybody. I honestly don't want to fight. If anything, I'm here to try to help." They looked surprised. Frisk smiled at them. He looked at the first one. "Why don't you be honest about your feelings?" Frisk whispered. The guard looked surprised and even more flustered as he looked at the other. Frisk smiled and nodded. "If you both will be honest, I will let you arrest me. How about that?" They looked shocked at this. Frisk even held out his hands for cuffs. They looked at him, then each other. The rabbit-like guard trembled and shook.

"D-dude, I . . . I can't take this anymore! Not like this!" He looked at his friend. "Dude, like . . . I like, _like_ you, bro! The way you fight, the way you move. I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing watch with you, even if it's in this heat in armor. I, like, wanna stay like this forever. With you." Frisk was deeply touched by that. He looked at the other guard, who was silent. There was a very tense moment, and Frisk thought he saw sweat dripping from the helmet of the other guard. "Uh, Psyche! Gotcha, bro! Ha, ha!" Frisk could feel the fear, and hurt in his voice, even if he couldn't see his eyes. The dragon-like guard lowered his sword.

"Bro?"

"Y-y-yeah?" Frisk watched, and hoped.

"Do you wanna . . . get some ice cream?"

"Y-yeah! That'd be great!" Frisk couldn't help a smile as they walked off. Seeming to forget him. It made him feel happy to see that. He gathered himself up and continued on.

Frisk came into another dark room, and, as he had several times before, prepared for something else that Mettaton had cooked up. Alphys called.

"Another dark room. You ready?" Frisk nodded as the lights came on. Whatever Frisk had been prepared for, it certainly wasn't this!

"Hello, beauties and gentlebeauties! Welcome to our fabulous show!" said Mettaton, who was dressed in a fancy suit, a flowery background, chairs sitting on a stage and a dividing wall that divided the stage into half. "And now, all you poor, lonely souls, it's time to play . . . _The Game of Love!_ " Frisk stared at him, eyes wide. Frisk was so stunned, Mettaton came over and gently pushed him into a seat that was waiting. Thankfully, it was pretty comfy. "Please welcome our newest contestant! For those of you new to the show, the aim of the game is to find our contestant that sweet, special someone! Behind this wall, are a group of special ladies looking for Mr. Right! Is our contestant the man of her dreams?! We'll soon find out! Now, without further ado, let's get started!" Frisk stared as canned applause played, but he had to say, he was actually well and good stunned. Mettaton wheeled over to Frisk, microphone in hand. "So, beautiful, tell us a little about yourself!" Frisk blinked like an owl. Was this for real? He hoped it was just another one of his tricks.

"Well, I, uh . . ."

"Ohhhhhhh! So modest! Well, the cameras don't lie! Let's have a look!" Frisk looked up at the screen above as snapshots of him taking the decorations off of Gyftrot, Frisk singing with Shyren, helping the monster kid, and other things.

" _Awwwwwwwwwwwww!"_ Frisk jumped at the canned studio audience reaction.

"See, folks? This is the kind of man ladies fight over! And, _and!_ We have a few of these lovely ladies here with us tonight!" Frisk felt very hot all of a sudden. He heard voices from the other side of the stage, all female.

"He's such a cutie! So kind, and his hands are so salty and soft!" He recognized the voice of Gyftrot, and he felt more than a little nervous.

"He has a wonderful singing voice, and he carries a tune very well . . ." That was Shyren, without a doubt, and the way she spoke, it made his face a little red.

"wawawawah! Hes a such a _CUTE!_ " Frisk recognized the voice of that first Temmie anywhere. Oh, boy, this was going to be a mess.

"I-I'm not here because I like that baka! Really! I just wanna be on TV!" He buried his head in his hands.

"I've never met him, but I hear he's a sweetie, and really cute . . ." Frisk jumped at that last voice. It was female, but _deep_ , and husky. He didn't recognize it, but . . . did someone turn the thermostat up?

"O ho ho! What a bevy of beauties! One of these fine ladies just has to be our contestant's true love! So, let's get this show underway!" Mettaton announced.

"Let's not . . ." Frisk muttered from where he sat. Mettaton either didn't hear, or, and far more likely, ignored him.

"So, let's start! Contestant, ask a question! Ladies, answer as honestly as you can!" Frisk sighed, and wondered why Alphys hadn't called to interrupt this yet.

"Uh . . ." Frisk paused as he thought. "What matters to you most in a man?" he asked.

"That he's nice!" said Gyftrot.

"That he be pleasant," answered Shyren.

"humans cute an nice! Nic warm hart!"

"I-I-I, uh . . . that they aren't a baka!"

"Tenderness . . ."

" _Ooooohhhhhhh!"_ came the canned response. To say that Frisk felt put on the spot was an understatement.

"Such wonderful, heartfelt answers! Now, it's the ladies' turn! Ladies, you each get to ask our contestant one question! Lady No. One! Ask away!" Frisk rubbed his face.

"Where would you take me on a date?" Gyftrot asked. Frisk thought, arms and legs crossed.

"Wherever you feel most comfortable," he replied. There was a giggle from behind the wall and "ooh"s from the canned audience.

"If you take me to a concert, who would we see?" asked Shyren.

"Whoever you like best," Frisk replied. There was a musical hum in reply.

"I love it! Lady No. Three, you're up!"

"human, wuld yu give Temmie lotza hugs n cudls?!" Frist felt his face warm up even more.

"Of course," he replied, earning a pleased squee in reply.

"Lady Four, you're next!"

"Ugh . . .I don't even . . . If, and I'm not saying we _would_ , if we went to the movies, would you, um . . . hold my wing?" Frisk was wishing he knew an invisibility spell right about then.

"If you want . . ."

"Oh, love is in the air! One more! Lady Five, go!" Frisk prepared himself, not at all sure what was going to happen next, and he hoped it was Mettaton attacking him.

" . . . Do you mind bigger girls?" asked that husky voice. Frisk swallowed hard.

"Um . . . No, not really," Frisk replied. There was a satisfied hum. Where the blazes was Alphys?

"Oh, this is getting exciting, folks! Now, it's our contestant's turn! Ask away!" Frisk thoroughly wished Mettaton would explode, right then and there.

"Um, what activity would you like to do on a first date?" Frisk asked, feeling very self-conscious, for the first time in a long while.

"A romantic dinner and watch the ceiling-gems," said Gyftrot. There were more canned "ooh"s at that.

"Singing together," said Shyren.

"BELY RUBS!" said Temmie. Frisk rubbed his face.

"Baka . . . Walking by the river?" said Tsunderplane. Frisk heard a husky chuckle from the last voice.

"You, me and satin sheets . . ." Frisk started at that one.

"Ooohh! Spicey!" said Mettaton.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" protested Tsunderplane. "What makes you think the baka's going to go with you, huh?!" There was a quiet, but satisfied chuckle from the husky voice.

"A woman over a girl, that's what," was the reply.

"Don't count your victories early, ladies. Everyone knows that _real_ men prefer fur . . ." said Gyftrot.

"oooh, he kis n hug Temmie!"

"Not on your life, pipsqueak!"

"And you're so sure he'll choose a bad-tempered fuselage?"

"You take that back, you big, clumsy-!"

"Aren't we here for love?" asked Shyren.

"Who asked you?!" While the argument got even more heated, and Mettaton intervened, Frisk took the opportunity to make himself scarce and headed into the Core as fast as his legs would go, only too glad to be out of there. His phone rang as he ran, and he answered it on the run.

"Hello?"

"Aw, it was just getting good . . ." said Alphys.

"Alphys! You mean you were watching this whole time, and didn't do anything?!"

"Um, well, it was so interesting, and I really wanted to see what happened." She gave an embarrassed laugh. Frisk groaned. "B-but, if it really comes down to it, I'll protect you from that big, dumb robot!"

"Like you did back there?" he joked. She gave another embarrassed chuckle and hung up.

Frisk passed through a few more rooms, and thankfully, he met no one else. It was silent and calm, save for the distant churning of the Core machinery, and that suited him just fine. He was able to recollect himself. Alphys called him, and he answered.

"You've been awfully quiet. Are you all right?" she asked. Frisk sighed gently.

"I suppose."

"Are you . . . worried about meeting Asgore?" she asked, sounding concerned. He closed his eyes.

"Among other things."

"W-well, don't worry! The king's a really nice guy! I'm sure, if you talk to him . . . and with your human soul, you can pass through the Barrier." Frisk frowned. He suddenly remembered about what he wanted to ask her.

"Hey, Alphys? Have you ever heard of . . ." he was stopped when there was a huge rumble, shaking the whole room. Large boulders fell from the ceiling, crashing down into the magma with a splash and flare of fire. When he looked down the phone read _no service._ He growled and hung up, putting the phone away. With a tired groan, he took the elevator up to the next floor. He came out, and saw what was easily one of the oddest monsters he had ever seen yet, and that was saying a lot.

She had pale violet skin, and was dressed in pink clothes. She quite clearly was a spider-monster, given her fangs, multiple eyes, many arms and other things. She was tending a booth that had several baked goods on it. He blinked and looked at them.

"Welcome to our parlor, dearie," she said in a sing-song voice. Interested in some spider pastries? All proceeds go to real spiders!" she asked. He looked at the price, and winced. Ten-thousand gold? Frisk frowned as he checked his wallet.

"Sorry, I don't have near enough. But I hope your sale is a success!" She watched him go, eyes keen and knowing.

Frisk came to another room with many steam vents. Alphys called.

"Sorry, the signal must've got cut off. Like the first room, this one needs you to solve the puzzles to the north and south to open the door." Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Right. Thanks."

"Glad to help. Um, I don't like giving away puzzle solutions, but if you need, just ask." Frisk smiled at this.

"Unless I risk getting my head cut off, I will try and solve them myself," he replied with a light chuckle.

"Oh, I know! Let's be friends on UnderNet! That way, you can just ping me when you need help!"

"You already signed me up," he pointed out. She stopped.

"Oh . . . You're right . . .T-that means that . . . you've been reading my posts this whole time, right?" Frisk couldn't help a giggle and nod. "W-well, I hope you agree with me! About Mew Mew 2, I mean!" Frisk chuckled.

"I haven't even seen the first one, so I am in no place to judge." She gasped, as if he had committed some sin.

"Never seen it?! You don't know what you're missing!" She hung up, making him smile.

Frisk made his way to the north puzzle, and while it was more difficult than the others, and he had only one shot, he managed to solve it. Upon exiting, he heard some young monsters commenting on Mettaton's shows.

"Man, did you see that last show? It rocked! That human looked so real!"

"Yeah, and I loved how Mettaton posed so dramatically when things looked down!" Frisk chuckled and continued on.

He was almost at the door for the next puzzle, when Alphys called him up.

"Hey, this doesn't really have anything to do with guiding you, but . . . do you like anime?" Frisk stopped. He hadn't watched anything like that in a long time.

"Um, well, I'm not really up-to-date on all that stuff. The last anime I ever watched was . . . uh, I think it was _Record of Lodoss War_ ," he said as he tried to recall. There was a shocked gasp from the other side.

"Oh my gosh! That's so old! Well, um, how would you like to, sometime, watch a new anime with me? It's um, called _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_." She sounded more nervous than he had ever heard. He smiled gently.

"Well, this kind of takes priority, but if things go well, I don't see why not?"

"Oh, I know you'll like it!" She sounded excited. Frisk smiled as he hung up. As he backtracked to find the unlocked door, he thought on the monsters he had met, and how he had changed, being down in their crazy world. It was as if they had wiped away the surface of falsehood he had made his mask to hide behind, and revealed a person hidden there he had forgotten had ever existed. When was the last time he smiled? Or laughed before he came to the Underground? How had they done that?

Frisk was so lost in thought, he didn't notice where he was until he heard a giggle.

" _Did you hear what they just said?"_ asked a voice. He glanced up in the dark room, filled with cobwebs. "They said a human wearing a striped shirt will come through." Frisk glanced around, hearing the giggle echo and bounce around. "I heard they hate spiders, and like to stomp on them and burn them." He looked around as he heard the voice again, and the floor felt different. It felt spongy and bouncy. "I heard . . ." Frisk whirled at the voice near his ear, and stifled a yelp when he saw the spider-monster from before, hanging upside down in front of him, grinning. "That they're awfully stingy with their money." She dropped onto a web, which he realized he was also standing on. "Oh? Too refined to buy our pastries? What a shame! Think you tastes are too high for our humble treats? I disagree. You taste is exactly what this next batch needs!" Frisk knew he was in trouble when strings of webbing snapped up and onto his shoulders.

"I don't hate spiders at all. I bought some of your fare in the Ruins," he said.

"Liar," she hissed as the spiders gathered. Frisk quickly reached into his bag, and pulled out the spider doughnut.

"See?" She looked surprised.

"Huh? Where did you get that?" He smiled and took a bite. It was actually very good. Tasted like blueberry icing, with a creamy filling inside.

"See? And they taste good." To his surprise, she looked angry.

"You . . . you must've stolen it! Oooh! I'll show you what we do to thieves!" Frisk glanced around as several more spiders arrived, including one big one. This was very bad.

As he was about to ready for more trouble, one tiny spider came up, holding a piece of paper. She looked surprised at this. "Huh? A telegram? From the spiders in the Ruins?" She picked it up and read it. Her eyes widened as she read it. "Huh?! They're saying that they saw you, and that you donated to their cause! Oh my! This has all been a big misunderstanding!" Frisk was relieved when the webs dropped away. "I thought you were someone who hates spiders. The person who asked for that soul, they must've been talking about a different human in a striped shirt! Sorry for all the trouble!" she giggled in an embarrassed tone. Frisk sighed and dusted himself off.

"Quite all right, but might I inquire as to who was it that said I hate spiders, and wanted my soul?"

"Oh, dear, I can't remember their name, but I remember they were rather rectangular . . ." Frisk sighed.

"Mettaton."

"Yes, I believe that was his name! I'm terribly sorry. If I see that person again, I'll introduce him to my pet!" The large spider growled as it crawled back to the shadows. Muffet was about to leave when Frisk stopped her.

"Wait! You can make it up to me with this; Have you heard of the Mirror of Elde?" Frisk asked. She put her hands to her chin and thought.

"I have heard something about a strange mirror in the King's castle, but that's all. Sorry I can't help more," she giggled in that high-pitched tone. Frisk nodded.

"Thank you, that does help."

"Any time, dearie!" he left quickly, not out of fear, but with energy. He now knew, with almost certainty that the Mirror of Elde was in Asgore's castle, and that Mettaton has far more of a menace than he thought.

Frisk saw a poster of a stage performance that Mettaton was putting on, but walked past. He had little doubt they were going to meet again.

"Welcome, beauties!" Who called it? Frisk looked up as Mettaton appeared in coveralls with a saw, hammer and a god-awful plaid shirt. "Welcome, one and all, to _Home Repairs and Inventions by Mettaton!_ Today, we've got some big surprises in store. But first, let's get a big round of applause for my lovely assistant here!" More canned applause was heard, and Frisk groaned softly. Was he ever going to run out of show ideas? Mettaton wheeled over and put his hands on his sides. "We've got some great projects in store for you tonight! Now, grab your hammers and nails, because we're about to begin! Our first project is . . . a trapdoor!" Before Frisk could move, Mettaton pressed a button on his front, snapping open the door Frisk was standing on, sending him plummeting into the dark below. Frisk managed to get a choice swear out as he fell. "Censors, darling!" Mettaton called. Frisk thankfully fell a short distance. He felt stupid for falling for the oldest trick in the book. He looked around, and saw a conveyer belt, and none other than Mettaton, floating above him.

"Ah, dropping in, are we, darling? Well, you're going to like this bit! This, is the colored tile maze!" Frisk stared, and sure enough, was a maze of colored tiles, just like Papyrus had tried to use, so long ago. "Each tile has its own sadistic function. Green tiles summon a monster you must fight, for example, and red tiles . . . wait, you're already familiar with this puzzle, aren't you?" Frisk tried to recall the rules Papyrus had said. "Well, in that case, no need for me to go over it all again. And, since you've already faced this before, I'm sure, as a seasoned veteran of dastardly puzzle-solving, you'll solve this in record time! Let's say, thirty seconds?" Frisk stared as huge walls of flames flared to life. "Oh, and if you fail to solve it within thirty seconds, you get burned to a crisp! Happy trails, darling!" To say that Frisk moved quick was an understatement, and there were enough choice swears that he was sure, had Toriel heard even half of them, she'd have washed his mouth out.

"Ah, you son of a-!" Frisk darted across the board, dodging piranhas, electrified and slippery tiles, all the while keeping his eyes on the flames. As it was, Frisk managed to get to the other side with only a single second to spare.

"My, my! You actually solved it! I'm very impressed! But, darling, you do remember what happens when you step on a green tile, don't you?" Frisk stared and tried to recall. He had been too busy rushing and trying to keep from getting zapped, eaten and torched that he hadn't paid too much attention to where his feet or hands were. Mettaton laughed darkly. "They sound a tone, that means you have to fight a monster . . . And that monster . . . is me!" Mettaton flew down and attacked, Frisk diving out of the way as he landed. "This is the end! Say goodbye, darling!" Frisk glared, just as his phone rang. He answered it.

"I know this looks bad, but I prepared for just such an occasion! There's one last thing I installed on your phone! You see that yellow button? Press it!" Frisk did, and was surprised when a barrel extended out from the phone. "A blaster function!" Frisk stared at the phone, which was now a weapon. "Now, let him have it!" Frisk aimed and fired. The yellow bolt hit Mettaton dead-center, the round crackling and hissing across his front.

"Ooooh! Ah! Curses! Defeated again! How can this be? You must be stronger than I thought!" Mettaton rocketed away. Frisk sighed as the phone returned to normal. Alphys called a second later.

"Wow! Y-you beat him! You did a really great job out there!" Frisk smiled.

"Thanks to you."

"Ah, y-yeah! When we both work together, there's nothing we can't do!" Frisk smiled at her words. She sounded hesitant about something.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

"Um, this might sound strange, but b-before I met you, I d-didn't . . . I didn't really like myself very much." Frisk sighed. How familiar that sounded. "For a long time, I felt like a total screw-up. Like I couldn't do anything without . . ."

"Without making a botch of it and letting people down," Frisk finished. She sounded surprised.

"H-how did you-?"

"Alphys, we all have our shortcomings and problems. Nobody's perfect, never will be. But, we can't be dragged down by our failures. All we can do is learn from them, and try our best not to repeat them." Alphys was silent.

"I . . . You're right! And . . . guiding you, has made me see I can do something right!" Frisk smiled sadly at her words.

"Alphys, you do a lot of things right." She seemed shocked at this. "I may have not known you long, but you certainly are dedicated, and you never give up. You search diligently for a solution, and you almost always find it. That's always an admirable trait. You also can plan ahead, and you do a fine job of that, very obviously."

"I-I-I . . . um, er. T-thank you, Frisk." He smiled. It was the first time she called him by his name.

"You're welcome, Dr. Alphys."

"Uh, you're almost to the Core. Keep at it. It's just past MTT Resort," she said before hanging up. Frisk took the stairs up, and found himself looking up at a large resort building. As he headed up the stairs, he saw the two Royal Guards from earlier, standing by a rabbit monster who was selling ice cream. They glanced up and waved.

"Thanks, dude!" they called. Frisk smiled and waved back as he headed up the stairs to the resort.

Frisk thought MTT Resort looked more like the resorts and casinos around Las Vegas than something from the Underground. Bright neon lights proudly stood above the door, and no surprise they showed Mettaton's likeness in glowing orange. Frisk shook his head. He was about to head inside, when he saw a cardboard sign. He looked at the letters in marker, directing towards the alley next to the resort. " _Great Deals_ " is what it read. He glanced at the alley, and couldn't see what harm it would do to have a look. Frisk followed the spray-painted arrows into the alley.

" _Omigawd! Catty, we got a customer!"_ shouted a female voice. Frisk blinked as a light came on, and he saw who was in the alley with him.

The one who was talking was a tall, green alligator, with blonde hair and wearing a pink shawl. The way she talked was energetic and bubbly, as was the way she moved.

"Coming, Bratty!" came the other voice. He saw a purple cat monster come out from behind a dumpster. She was dressed in denim overalls, had black hair and golden eyes.

" _Like, check it out!"_ they chorused in unison.

"We've got, like, some great stuff for sale!" said Bratty, the alligator.

"Yeah, we totally got great deals!" said Catty. Frisk smiled. They had a friendly energy to them.

"Very nice to meet you, Ladies." They both giggled.

"Aw, you're, like, such a total cutie!" said Bratty. Frisk tried not to let his cheeks heat up too much. Catty giggled as she motioned to a table.

"So, like, see what we got."

"Yeah, the stuff inside is, like _totally_ wicked expensive," said Bratty.

"And our stuff is, like, wicked cheap!" Frisk saw it was all recycled goods. While others might be put off, he smiled.

"Ah, recycled and repurposed. What a good idea. Something doesn't have to be new to still be useful." They both giggled again.

"Yeah! He, like, totally gets it!" said Bratty. Frisk saw a slightly beat up First-Aid kit, but the contents looked in good shape. They had some food, and a few other things. Frisk bought some food from them, and he had little doubt they were right about it being cheaper than inside the resort. "Like, thanks, little guy! You totally made our day!" said Bratty. Frisk smiled.

"By the way, did you girls know you can recycle copper wire and pipe?" They both stared at him.

"Like, no way! What would you do with it?" asked Catty. Frisk smiled.

"You can make pretty jewelry out of it, for starters." Their eyes got huge. Bratty scooped him up and hugged him tight.

"That's, like, the most totally wicked idea, _ever_!" Bratty almost sang as she whirled around with Frisk's face held against her chest.

"Yeah! We'd make a fortune!" said Catty. Frisk couldn't help a smile as the girls danced around at the idea. Frisk gave them some ideas on what to make, and how. As it was, they had most everything they needed. Bratty was dancing around, her tail swaying.

"Thanks! That's, like, so rad of you!" said Bratty, looking giddy. Frisk smiled.

"Glad to help. By the way, have either of you girls heard of the Mirror of Elde?" he asked. They stopped and looked thoughtful.

"Umm, like, not really? Is it a good mirror?" Catty asked.

"Is it, like, a super-premium Hollywood mirror?" They both giggled. Frisk smiled and shook his head.

"No. But, thanks." They smiled and waved as he left.

"Like, come back any time!" they called. Frisk smiled as he rounded the corner, and was a bit surprised to see Sans there, waiting for him.

"Hey, buddo. Long time, no see. I heard you were heading to the Core. Come on and have a bite with me." Frisk crossed his arms and smiled.

"Not sure, I think you'd be too dry." Sans laughed and motioned for him to follow. Frisk followed Sans around the other side of the resort to a cafe that was currently unoccupied. They sat down at a table that had a single candle burning at it. "So, is Undyne settling in well?" Frisk asked. Sans grinned.

"Yeah, but I think she's a little-"

"Out of water?" Sans laughed, harder this time.

"You know, kid, you're one of the few who really likes my jokes." Frisk smiled. Sans' puns had grown on him a bit. Sans smiled, looking lost in thought, something Frisk didn't see often. "So, your journey's almost over . . ." Frisk saw an odd look from Sans. He looked a bit, sad? Depressed? He couldn't quite peg his emotions. "You must be looking forward to getting out of here, huh? Going home." Frisk sighed. He wanted to go back to Toriel, he really did.

"It's complicated, Sans. Lots of things in life are. But, I also want to free all you guys." Sans stared at him for a while.

" . . . What if you can't?" Frisk leaned back in his chair, watching shadows dance on the walls. "Ah, forget it," Sans said with a grin. "I'm rootin' for ya, kid." Frisk smiled gently at this. Sans watched as Frisk got to his feet. "Let me tell you a story," Sans began. Frisk stopped and looked at him. "So, I'm a sentry and Snowdin Forest, right?" Frisk nodded. "I sit out there and watch for humans. It's kind of boring, really. Fortunately, deep in the forest, there's this _huge_ locked door." Frisk stopped and stared at him silently, recalling exiting the Ruins. "Perfect for practicing knock-knock jokes." Frisk sat back down and listened. Sans grinned, hands in his pockets. "So, one day, I'm knockin' 'em out like usual. I knock on the door, and say 'knock, knock', and suddenly, from the other side I hear a woman's voice." Frisk sat up and took notice of this. "And she says "Who's there?". So, I respond "dishes". "Dishes who?" "Dishes a really bad joke."." Frisk couldn't help a soft grin at this. Sans was smiling. "She's just howling with laughter from that one. Like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. I kid you not." Frisk chuckled at the double-joke.

"Very funny," he replied, amused. Sans grinned and continued.

"So, I keep 'em coming and she keeps laughing. She's the best audience I've ever had. Then, after a dozen or so, _she_ knocks. "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Old lady!"." Sans was really grinning now. "So I say "Old lady who?" "Ah, I didn't know you could yodel!"." Frisk laughed at this. Sans was almost beaming now. "Needless to say, this lady was really good! We kept telling jokes and laughing for hours and hours. I had to leave eventually, but she told me to come by again. So, I did." Frisk could feel the energy Sans had as he told the tale, and could see how happy it made the skeleton. "It's a thing, now, us telling knock-knock jokes out in the woods. Bad ones, too. It rules." Frisk smiled. Sans looked away. Frisk just sat, silent, letting his friend tell the tale.

The skeleton was silent for several long moments. He looked back up, and his smile had slipped somewhat. "One day, I notice she isn't laughing as much. Heck, I hardly got a chuckle out of her. I asked her what was wrong. Then, she said something strange: "If a human ever comes through this door, could you please promise me something? Watch over them and protect them, will you not?"." Frisk stared at Sans. Any doubts he had as to who Sans was talking to had been firmly erased. "Now, I hate making promises, and I don't even know this lady's name. But, somebody who sincerely like jokes as bad as mine has an integrity you just can't say no to. Ya dig?" Frisk stared at him as Sans was silent once more, letting everything sink in.

"Thank you, Sans." The skeleton looked up at him. "Without your help-"

"You'd be dead where you stand," said Sans, but not without humor, but there was true warning there. Frisk sighed gently and nodded. Sans was silent again, as if contemplating something.

"I have a hard time making friends . . ." Sans looked up at this. Frisk was watching the shadows on the walls. "I'm . . . so strange. I have a hard time connecting with people. And . . . when you've seen some of the things I have . . ." Frisk shook his head ruefully. "I was cold, detached. I stopped feeling anything. Worst of all, I stopped being able to trust." Frisk looked at Sans, and, for the first time, Sans really saw what was behind those blue eyes. They looked tired, worn. Old. Frisk smiled without humor, looking at the table. "That's no way to live. Heck, it's not life, just existing." He looked back up, and his eyes had that spark of Determination again. "But, helping the monsters, getting to know them. Making friends . . ." He smiled, and it was genuine, now. Frisk stood up from the table, hands in his pockets, almost mirroring Sans. "Maybe, just maybe, instead of me saving you . . . you all have saved me." Sans was silent as he watched Frisk leave.

 **Author's note:** Sorry for the longer wait, but life was hectic. Read, review, and enjoy!


	10. Chapter Ten: Death by Glamour

**Chapter Ten: Death by Glamour**

Frisk stepped out of the cafe into a more brightly-lit cafeteria, watching the monsters go about their business. Frisk noticed a familiar face. It was a Snowdrake, but this one was larger and dressed in different clothes. It even had glasses. It was looking unhappy, and, not in any real hurry, Frisk decided to see if he could help.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" he asked the monster, who looked up at him.

"Yes, of course. Why do you ask?" replied the Snowdrake in a male voice.

"Because you don't look or sound happy. All of your body language shows distress." The Snowdrake sighed.

"I'm the resort comedian. People come from all over to laugh at my jokes. My son, he wants to be a comedian, like his father." Ah, so this was the father of the Snowdrake he met back in Snowdin. "He's a good boy, but his jokes, well . . ."

"They could be better?" Frisk asked. The Snowdrake nodded.

"Since his mother passed away, he couldn't stand living at home anymore." Frisk listened to what was an all-too-familiar tale, that he had heard so many times, and each time, it hurt to hear. "So, he ran away. I haven't seen him since." Frisk watched as the Snowdrake sniffled and wiped a tear from behind his glasses. "I'm a terrible father, ha ha . . ." Frisk frowned deeply.

"Even very close families argue, from time to time. That's the way of things," said Frisk, getting his attention. The human boy smiled as he put a gentle hand on the Snowdrake's shoulder. "You still love your son, don't you?" The Snowdrake shed another tear as he nodded. "The death of a loved one is always a terrible blow. And it can sometimes drive people apart. But, only if we let it." The Snowdrake looked up at him. "All boys love their mothers, and I assume he was very close to her, wasn't he?" Snowdrake sadly nodded. "His heart and soul were likely hurting, and in such a sensitive state, he couldn't take anymore hurt, even small ones. What, at any other time, would have slid off his back hit him right in the heart." Snowdrake shuddered, more tears flowing. Frisk smiled kindly and patted his shoulder.

"I . . . I didn't mean to. I love my son. He's a good boy."

"And rather funny, I think." Snowdrake looked up at him.

"You've met my son?!" Frisk nodded.

"He's in Snowdin." The father Snowdrake sniffled and wiped his tears. Frisk offered a napkin to wipe his face.

"Don't think it's too late. It's only too late when you're dead." The Snowdrake wiped his eyes, and looked up at Frisk.

"You're right! I'm gonna go to Snowdin, and I'm gonna set things right!" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Go. Find your son, and tell him you love him. Cherish him, not just as your son, but to honor your wife." The Snowdrake smiled further, tears of joy in his eyes and he hurried off. Frisk smiled and felt warm inside. He hoped things went better for them. He continued through the bright lobby, and while he was more intent on heading onwards, he caught various passing conversations, and even spoke to a few monsters. One thing that was universal, and surprised him, was that Mettaton, for all his shameless conceit and boastfulness, was very kind to his employees, and even hired a few who, otherwise, might not have found work. It gave him another view on the robot. Frisk headed for the Core along a narrow bridge, but stopped when he saw some shadowy figures in the distance, heading into it. He stopped and hid, watching. He couldn't entirely see them, but it was better to be safe. Once they left, he carefully followed into the Core.

The inside of the Core was like something out of a science-fiction movie. Blue, metallic walls, circuitry and and all manner of strange, advanced things were all over. It was easily one of the more advanced things he had ever seen. His cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Okay, this is it! You just need to take the elevator up to Asgore's castle from there!" said Alphys. Frisk nodded and pushed the button. Nothing happened. "Huh? The elevator should be working. Okay, try the stairs to the right, then." Frisk went through the doorway, and stopped short, almost falling into a deep, dark pit, where he could see fires burning at the bottom of what he assumed was another elevator shaft. "Huh? You're kidding me. That's not on my map. What the heck? Um, okay, try the other door." Frisk kept the phone to his ear as he went back into the other room, and through the other door, up a small flight of stairs, and into a long room. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere. You should just have to go up from there, and you'll get to Asgore's castle!" Frisk hung up and continued into the Core.

Frisk next faced an electric barrier that blocked the way into a transparent bridge. Frisk looked, and saw various lasers that were deactivated, but the switch, he had little doubt, would deactivate the barrier, but activate the lasers. Alphys called. "Okay, this will be a bit tricky. Flip the switch, and then the lasers will come on. The schematic says they will come on in this order: Orange, orange, and blue. Got it? Stay alert." Frisk nodded and flipped the switch. The lasers began to move, and very quick, but he noticed they were reversed from what Alphys said. He just narrowly avoided a nasty wound by diving through the orange laser. His phone rang again. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I got the wrong order! I-"

"It's okay, Alphys," he said gently. He heard her calm. "I got through unscathed, so don't worry. I heard some monsters saying this place could be changed around, and I guess your schematic was out of date. Not your fault." He heard her sigh.

"You're right. Thanks." Frisk hung up and continued onwards, until he reached a fork in the path. Alphys called again. "Uh oh. Crossroads. Um, which way was . . .?" He heard her muttering to herself and the rustling of papers and the sound of typing. "Umm, I think, if you go straight ahead, you'll be on the right path," she said, but didn't sound too sure. Frisk hung up and went forward. He came running back a few seconds later, looking a little scorched. The phone rang. "Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I had no idea they installed fire traps like that!" Frisk sighed and patted out some soot from his sleeve.

"Quite all right. You obviously were caught out like I was. I somehow doubt your maps will be of much help here. Looks like Mettaton switched everything out on us."

"Oh my god! You're right! He must've switched out every room and puzzle just to spite us!" Frisk muttered and nodded.

"So, just give me what help you can, and I'll wing it from there." He hung up and continued onwards, this time to the left of where he entered. This left him facing a bridge where numerous blue lasers were moving, and an orange laser was sitting still. This was going to be a headache. Alphys called again.

"Ugh, more lasers! He really must love toying with us! I won't fool around with this one. I'm going to turn off the lasers and let you though." There was a pause. "Wait a minute. They won't turn off! Drat, what're you up to, Mettaton?" Frisk looked, and wondered if he could avoid them, or, barring that, how badly he would get hurt running through them. "Okay, time for something drastic! I'm going to turn off all the power to the node!" There was a pause, and the lights, lasers, and everything went out. "Okay, go on ahead," she said. Frisk headed down the path, seeing how many lasers there were.

Suddenly, the phone rang. "Stop!" Frisk did, and the lights and lasers came back on at the same time. He was thankful, as he was right in the middle of a field of blue lasers. "Blast, the power backup kicked in. Okay, this is gonna be tricky. Move a few feet, then stop. I'm going to have to fight with the power backup here." Frisk nodded, and as soon as the power went out, he moved a few feet, stopped, and the power and lasers flicked back on. It took a while, but Frisk finally made it to the other side. The phone rang."See? I've got it under control!" She sounded proud. Frisk smiled.

"Thanks again." he headed for the next flight of stairs. Frisk now came to a four-way crossroads. He glanced around as Alphys called again.

"Um, I have no idea which way to go. This isn't even on my map. Sorry." Frisk smiled.

"It's fine. But I might need you to turn off lasers and things, so stay with me."

"I will." Frisk hung up and looked at the signs, which named the north as the _Warrior's Path_ and west as the _Sage's Path_. East was labeled as _The End_. Frisk carefully checked east, and saw the bridge was high over what looked like clouds or mist, towers and pillars vanishing into the swirling mist. He headed north, and found an electric barrier barring the way to a large elevator. He knew the switches to deactivate it were around there somewhere. He just had to find them.

Frisk wandered a bit, and managed to find one of the switches, with a little help from the monsters. Whimsalot and Final Froggit had heard about him from their cousins in the Ruins, and were only too happy to help him. The _Sage's Path_ was not too bad. He then headed to the _Warrior's Path_ to the north. After a bit of winding around, he came to a room with a red glass sheet that covered the last switch. He also was not alone in the room, and the monster inside didn't look friendly. It looked a bit like an odd wizard. This made Frisk nervous, recalling so many memories. Frisk sighed, and made a special sign with his hands.

"Ah! A fellow wizard! A Wizard's Duel, then! _Abra kadabra!_ " Frisk barely managed to avoid the glowing spheres. He frowned. He knew there was no way he could attack, as this level of magic would block any physical attack he could make, and using magic himself was out of the question. He doubted that this monster would listen or give up. Madjick was about to cast another spell, grinning, when a shadow moved, and a large mace smacked him in the head with a clang. The stunned monster dropped to the ground and giggled. Frisk looked up, stunned as the shadow moved, revealing its form was that of a huge, armored knight. He tensed up.

"Hi, sweetie," said a deep, husky and feminine voice he recognized. The knight came closer, and knelt down. A large face in the breastplate moved, eyes moving to look at him. Huge horns protruded from the helmet, and a crescent moon was etched on it. Frisk couldn't help but stare, dumbstruck at the owner of that voice. "It's nice to finally meet you." She offered her hand. Frisk looked at the armored gauntlet, then at her. She chuckled. "I won't hurt you. All that on that show was just to make a diversion, so you could keep going." Frisk stared at her. He carefully put his hand in hers. The armored fingers gently closed over his. "I'd seen and heard about you. Heard you want to help us." Frisk nodded, and could feel a smile under her helmet. The large face even smiled. "Here," she said as she gently lifted him up and put him on her shoulders. She walked over, and smashed the red, magic glass with her Morning Star, and flipped the switch.

"Thanks. Uh, I'm Frisk." She chuckled.

"I'm Knight Knight. It's nice to meet you." To his great surprise, she carried him back down the halls to where the elevator was waiting. She gently picked him off her shoulders and set him down. He stared up at her. She was easily the largest monster he had yet seen, but was surprisingly gentle in both her tone, and actions. She looked at the elevator, then Frisk. "Mettaton is waiting ahead. Be careful." Frisk nodded.

"Thank you, Knight Knight." She chuckled and very gently patted his head.

"I hope you succeed. I hope I can meet more nice humans like you, little sweetie." The large face winked, before she turned and headed off. Warmth filled his heart as he turned back to the elevator and headed inside.

The room was dark, but he could see Mettaton waiting for him. He steeled himself for what he knew was not going to be an easy battle, but he hoped he could get through it without hurting Mettaton. Even if a robot, even with everything, he didn't want to fight him.

"Oh, yes! Here you are at last, darling! Finally time to have our little showdown. Time to finally stop the 'malfunctioning robot'. _Not!_ " Frisk watched Mettaton, keeping an eye out for any more tricks, but he felt he was actually telling the truth this time. "Malfunction? Reprogramming? Get real! This was all just a big show! An act." Frisk smiled gently at this, eyes closed.

"I know that." Mettaton seemed genuinely shocked.

"What? You knew all this time?" Frisk chuckled.

"I'm not stupid. I found it rather convenient that any time there was a puzzle, issue or anything else, Alphys was always there with perfect timing." Mettaton was silent for a few moments.

"Yes. As she watched you on the screen, she grew attached to your adventures." Frisk nodded.

"And she wanted to insert herself, to meet someone she liked, to make herself feel more important. To feel wanted and needed." Mettaton seemed pleased.

"Ah, so you see right to the core, then?" Frisk nodded again.

"Yes. And, I have to say, it has been quite fun. Nobody was hurt, and I don't think I've felt so alive in a long, long time." Frisk smiled at Mettaton. "You're quite a showman, no doubt." Mettaton buzzed for a few moments.

"Hmm, Alphys was right about you, it seems. You _do_ care about monsters." Frisk nodded again. Mettaton hummed and crossed his arms. "But, we can't leave this fabulous performance unfinished, can we?" Frisk smiled wider and shook his head.

"The show must go on, yes?" Mettaton lit up.

"You betcha! Right now, Alphys is waiting outside the doors, waiting for her cue. During our "battle", she will pretend to "deactivate" me, and "save" you one final time." Frisk grinned wider.

"What say we throw that old script out, and liven it up, eh?" Mettaton clapped.

"Outstanding, darling! And, when I defeat you for real, and take your soul, I can finally cross the barrier!" This surprised Frisk. "Shocked? See, I don't want to hurt humans. Far from it, actually. I want to go to the surface, and bask in that glorious light of Hollywood! I only want to entertain, and the audience deserves a good show! And what's a good show, without a plot twist, huh?" While Frisk should have been worried, he only grinned further. He heard Alphys knocking on the door behind him.

"Hey! What's going on?! Why's this door locked?" Mettaton brought out his microphone as lights switched on.

"Sorry, folks, the old show's been cancelled! But, we've got a showstopping finale that will drive you wild!" The whole room lit up, monitors everywhere, lights, cameras, the middle of the room rose up to become a stage. Frisk could hear cheers, and they weren't canned ones now, but real. He saw many monsters in the monitors, cheering, some holding toys of Mettaton, some with t-shirts of him. All his loyal fans. "Real drama! Real action! Real bloodshed! All on our fabulous new show! _Attack of the Killer Robot!_ " Frisk smiled with Determination. It was Go Time! Frisk stood back and "glared" at Mettaton, but inside, he was smiling. "Yes, I switched the Core, set up all the puzzles, hired people to kill you!" said Mettaton in a threatening voice, posing dramatically to the cheers of his audience. "But you know what would be so much more fun? Killing you myself! Get ready, human! You're about to meet your end!" Frisk heard the crowd cheering over the monitors.

Frisk whipped up the cell phone and fired several yellow bolts at Mettaton, but they bounced off harmlessly. "That peashooter won't work on me, darling." Frisk knew it wouldn't, but he had to try it. "I've seen you fight, darling, and if you continue forward, Asgore will take your soul, and then humanity is doomed." Frisk dove out of the way as axes fell from the ceiling. "But if I get your soul, I can stop Agore's plan! I can save humanity! Then, using your soul, I'll cross the Barrier, stop Asgore, and I'll become the star I've always dreamed of! Hundreds, no, thousands. Heck, _millions_ of humans will watch me! HBO! Encore! Cinemax! Netflix!" Frisk was trying very hard not to laugh. He never thought he would actually have fun in a fight for his life. He wasn't too surprised when his phone rang.

"Talk to me," Frisk said as Mettaton launched a small TV at him, which exploded as it hit the ground.

"Uh . . . I can't see what's going on in there, but don't give up! There's one last way to beat Mettaton!" Frisk danced out of the way of a massive halberd.

"I'm all ears," said Frisk.

"It's . . . it's um . . . a work in progress, so don't judge too harshly. But, you know h-how he always faces forward?" Frisk thought. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Mettaton turn his back on him. "That's because he has a switch on his backside. S-s-so, if y-y-you can t-turn him around, he'll become . . . vulnerable." Frisk nodded and hung up. He smiled at Mettaton.

"Well, if you're going to be a star, you've gotta look the part! You got stuff all over your face! Better use that mirror to clean up."

"What?! Oh, my! You're right! I can't make my premiere looking dirty! Where's the mirror?" Mettaton turned, and Frisk lunged and flipped the large switch. Mettaton froze. "Did you . . . just flip . . . my switch?" Mettaton began spinning and beeping as he grabbed his casing with his hands. There was a bright flash, Frisk covered his eyes. _"Oh, yes . . ."_ The deep, masculine voice, while it was a bit like Mettaton's was far more real. Frisk opened his eyes, and saw mist on the stage. Lights lit up a shadow. "Ohhh, my. If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body. How rude. But, lucky for you, I've been itching to show this off for a long while. So, as thanks, I'll give you a lovely reward, by making your last moments-" Suddenly, there was a whoosh, the mist shooting away. "Absolutely _beautiful_!" Frisk stared at Mettaton's new form.

He was now humanoid, in fact, he looked like a glam rocker that even David Bowie would be jealous of. Large, armored pads on his shoulders that would have been the envy of any 1980s rocker, sleek black hair, pink high-heeled boots, tight black leather pants. Mettaton struck a pose. "Lights, camera, action!" Frisk watched as Mettaton moved with a dancer's grace, but he saw the razor-sharp stiletto heels as Mettaton swept at him with a kick that looked like a dance move. Frisk leaped back, and noticed a monitor, measuring the ratings, and they were going up. He looked at the others, and saw Mettaton's fans cheering. Frisk smiled and struck a pose. Mettaton was shocked when the ratings went up. Frisk smirked at him, hands on his hips.

Not about to be outdone, Mettaton danced and kicked at Frisk, throwing punches and kicks that perfectly blended in with a dance. Frisk bobbed, dove over and under, striking poses from Ballet, Swing, even some breakdancing. Mettaton could only stare as Frisk did something amazing, and walked backwards from his attack, even though he looked like he was walking forwards, perfectly executing that famous dance called the Moonwalk. The ratings went through the roof, the audience cheering. Mettaton was shocked, then smiled as he danced next to Frisk, both trying to outdance the other. Frisk slid away and stood on the toes of his shoes perfectly, striking a dramatic pose, the audience screaming over the monitors and the ratings skyrocketing. Mettaton grinned and charged, which Frisk dodged by jumping up, landing on his hand, and smooching at him with a wink. The ratings were going higher than a skyscraper. Frisk leaped away as Mettaton swiped at him, Frisk landing and shaking his finger at him.

"A little slow, old darling? I bet you you won't hit me at _all_ this turn," Frisk teased. Mettaton grinned and gave everything he had, throwing out bombs, shooting bolts of lightning, nothing touched Frisk, who posed and winked at the camera. There was a huge cheer, and Mettaton, who was panting, looked up and stared in shocked awe at the ratings. They were at _twenty-thousand_!

"Oh, my . . . L-look at . . . these ratings!" Frisk was startled when Mettaton fell down. Frisk ran over and gently helped him sit up. Frisk noticed that the heart-shaped indicator in Mettaton's belt was flashing, and dimming rapidly. Mettaton, though, was smiling, looking excitedly at the monitors. "Ooh. Look at these ratings! This is the most viewers I've ever had! We've reached the viewer call-in milestone! One lucky viewer will have the chance to talk to me, before I leave the Underground forever! Let's see who calls in first!" Frisk looked down as a speaker on Mettaton's own body rang. There was a soft beep as it was answered. Mettaton was all smiles, looking excited. "Hi! You're on TV! What do you have to say on this, our final episode?" There was a soft sigh.

"Oh . . . high, Mettaton." Frisk's eyes widened as he recognized the voice of Napstablook. Mettaton also looked surprised, but also as if . . . he also knew this voice. "I really enjoyed watching your show. My life is pretty boring, really. But . . . seeing you on the screen, brought enjoyment to my life. Vicariously . . ." Frisk was shocked when he saw a look of agony in Mettaton's face. He looked like he was about to cry. "I can't tell . . . but it looks like this is the last show, isn't it?" There was a light sniff from the other line. "I . . . I'll miss you, Mettaton . . ." Frisk saw the genuine emotion in the robot's . . . no, this _person's_ face. "Oh . . . I didn't mean to talk so long . . ." There was a click, and Mettaton's eyes widened, tears at the edges.

"No! Wait! Wait! Bl-" Mettaton stopped as a dial tone was heard. "H . . . They already hung up." Frisk looked at him as Mettaton sagged. The boy held him tighter. Mettaton smiled at him, but it was sad. "I-I'll take another caller!" Mettaton's chest rang again, and the pure, unfiltered emotion flowed forth.

"Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Please don't go, Mettaton!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you!"

"Oh, Mettaton, I'll miss you so much!"

"Thank you for lighting up our lives!"

"Mettaton!" It was the voice of a girl, who sounded like she was in tears. "There's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart . . ." Frisk smiled sadly at those beautiful, heartfelt words. Mettaton was in tears himself.

"Ah . . . I see . . ." Frisk smiled at him, gently holding his head, the heart dimming even more. "Everyone . . . thank you, so much." Frisk looked up at the monitors, moving Mettaton's head so he could see. Many monsters were in tears, both of sadness, and joy.

"See? See the lives you touched? You're deeply connected to each and every one, even if you never met them," said Frisk. Neither paid attention to the monsters watching and listening. Or the ratings still going up. "They're more than just your fans. They genuinely care for you, and you them." Mettaton looked into Frisk's eyes, and he too saw what others had, deep within. Mettaton smiled gently.

"Yes. I do. Without them . . . I'd be nothing." Mettaton looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe . . . it's best if I stay here for a while. Humans already have stars and idols-"

"But monsters only have you." Mettaton nodded. Frisk smiled kindly at him. "Many human stars don't care about their fans. But you do, and that puts you head and shoulders above them." Mettaton was shocked at this. "I've heard the wonderful stories, how you've been kind, and helped your employees, given them jobs they might not otherwise have. I can say, such a thing is sadly very rare and precious among humans now. You're truly a diamond among cut glass, Mettaton." The watching monsters were silent as they listened. Mettaton looked surprised, and moved by his words. He looked down, thought on what he said.

"Yes. If I left, the Underground would lose its spark. I'd leave an aching void that could never be filled." "Mettaton looked at Frisk, smiling gently. "I think . . . it's best if I delay my big debut." Frisk nodded. "You've proved to be far stronger than I thought. Maybe even strong enough to get past Asgore. More than that, you've shown how kind humans can be." Frisk looked up at the monitors, and saw images of him helping monsters. It seemed strange to see himself, displayed so. "If there's more good humans like you . . ." He looked down at Mettaton. "Then you have to protect them." Frisk's eyes widened at this. "The King's wrong. Humans aren't all bad. You prove that."

Frisk was struck, hard by those honest words. Frisk vaguely heard some gasps from monsters on the monitors, but he hardly noticed. "Haa, it's all for the best, anyway. This form's energy consumption is . . . inefficient." Frisk looked at the flashing heart indicator. "In a few moments, I'll run out of battery power. And . . ." Frisk looked at him, worried. " . . . I'll be all right. Don't worry." Mettaton flashed him a confident smile. "Knock 'em dead, darling!" Mettaton was surprised when Frisk hugged him.

"I promise I will." Mettaton smiled, tears in his eyes.

" _Aaaaawwwwwwwwwwww."_ This time, the sound was real, and from the hearts of all the moved monsters watching. Mettaton smiled at the camera.

"Thank you, everyone! You've been a great audience!" With this, Mettaton's eyes dimmed, and he slackened. Frisk held him as the door swished open behind him.

"Finally! I couldn't get that stupid lock open, and . . ." Alphys stopped when she saw them. "Oh my god! Mettaton!" She came running over. Frisk looked up at her, but stayed where he was, knelt and holding Mettaton's head.

"Please tell me that . . . running out of battery power isn't . . ." he couldn't finish. She quickly checked him out. She sighed and looked relieved.

"No. He should be fine after a recharge." Frisk visibly relaxed. "Mettaton . . . if you were gone, I . . ." Frisk gently laid Mettaton down, and touched Alphys' shoulder. She looked up at him as he smiled.

"I'll help you carry him back to the lab." She stared at him.

"Y-y-you'd do that?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"I'll get his feet . . ."

XXX

They got Mettaton back to Alphys' lab without trouble, or incident. With a little help from Knight Knight. Alphys offered Frisk some soda, instant noodles, and a place to sleep while she checked over Mettaton and hooked him up to recharge.

Frisk sat on a stool, the noodles long since eaten. He sat in deep thought, on everything that had happened up to that point, and what Mettaton said. He was more than just a robot, and when Alphys had lightly joked she could always build another one, he told her that wasn't true. No one could ever replace Mettaton. That seemed to lift her spirits a great deal.

He looked up as she came back into the main lab.

"He should be fine after a good recharge. I replaced his batteries, just to make sure." Frisk nodded. Alphys sat at her worktable and sighed. She looked physically and emotionally drained. They both were silent for a long while.

"He's not bad . . ." Frisk said, startling Alphys. Frisk didn't look up from his cup of noodle broth. "He didn't want to really hurt me, or humans. I couldn't fight or hurt him." Frisk looked up at her and smiled. "He may be a robot, but he's also a person. And from what I've seen, a pretty good one, too." Alphys smiled a bit and nodded. "And so are you." She blushed and look embarrassed.

"S-so, next stop is Asgore's castle, huh? You m-must be pretty excited about it. Y-you'll finally . . . get to go home." He sighed and looked up at her.

"Alphys, do you know what I'm here?" She looked surprised.

"Um, well . . . I know that you're trying to find your way to the castle, and you fell down, and-"

"I want to free you." She stopped and stared at him. He looked back down at the cup. "I have no home, or family on the surface. They're all long-dead. I really have no purpose. But, if I can help, then I will." Alphys was shocked. She sighed dejectedly.

"The only way for that to happen . . . is for Asgore to kill you and take your soul."

"And then he will destroy humanity if that happens. While I'm not fond of all humans, I don't wish that." She shook her head. She had been over all of that herself, so many times before. He saw a look from her, that she thought he didn't see. He sighed.

"I know what happened, Alphys." She sat up straight and looked shocked.

"What?! H-h-how could you-?" Frisk smiled at her.

"I'm not stupid. I caught on early what you were really doing, setting up puzzles and such." She only looked a tiny bit relieved that was what he was referring to, but she still was flustered, embarrassed and ashamed.

"I-I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" She stopped when she felt his hands on hers. She looked up at his eyes.

"It was fun." Now, she didn't know what to say.

"Uh, I-I-I, uh . . ." He gently hugged her. She was shocked, confused, and more than a little warm, her cheeks rosy with a blush. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"I don't hold anything against you, so never think that. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. Besides that, I got a lot of exercise." Alphys laughed at this.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't . . . I just wanted-"

"A friend?" She nodded guiltily. He smiled at her. "Well, you have one." She looked up, and saw he was smiling at her. She hugged him.

"Thank you, Frisk." He smiled as he hugged her back.

"You're welcome, Alphys." He pulled back, and saw she was really smiling, and not the shy smile she often had, but a true one. "But, a dating show? Really?" Alphys looked sheepish.

"Umm, that wasn't me. Mettaton was deviating from my ideas from the start. Even I didn't know some of the answers to his questions!" They both chuckled. "But, seeing your face red as a tomato was kind of funny!" He gave her a mock-glare.

"Yeah, funny, funny. Maybe you and Undyne could be contestants next episode?" Now it was her turn, and she turned bright red. They both laughed again. Frisk inhaled, and felt refreshed. He suddenly remembered something vitally important. "Actually, there is a way you can help me, Alphys." She looked at him. Frisk smiled. "If it works, if I can find it, then it will solve everything. Since you're the Royal Scientist, you must know: Where is the Mirror of Elde?" Frisk was shocked at her reaction. The color drained from her face, leaving her looking white as her lab coat.

"What?! H-h-h-how do you know?! Uh, I mean, I don't know anything about it!" Frisk was startled.

"Alphys, please. This may be the answer to everything! If I can use the mirror, I can break the Barrier, and free the monsters without the need for souls, or hurting anyone. I' pretty sure it's in Asgore's castle, but I need help to find it. Please. If anyone knows about it, you would. Please, help me." She got to her feet and backed away from him.

"No! You don't know what you're asking! You don't know what it does!" Frisk was surprised.

"The mirror grants the wish of the person who uses it, but only humans." She was even more floored. She looked down at the floor, a look of agony on her face.

"Yes . . . but . . . It's . . . it doesn't . . . just . . ." To his shock, she began to cry, covering her face. "Please don't ask that of me! I can't!" She ran from the room, her lab door swishing closed behind her, but she thought she heard her say a name: _Asriel._

 **Author's note:** I apologize for a longer wait on this, but I was dealing with a lot in real life.

I want to thank all my kind readers for their patience, encouragement and kind words. Extra big thanks go to Teshy, AlexanderMugetsu, Chaosblackwing and Maxton for their kind words and help when I have been depressed, exhausted or sick. Thanks a bunch!

Read, Review and Enjoy!


	11. Chapter Eleven: Open Hearts

**Chapter Eleven: Open Hearts**

Frisk sat outside the lab in deep thought. Alphys' reaction shocked him. He thought back on what little he knew about the Mirror of Elde. He knew it was powerful, but also spoken of with fear. He had always assumed that fear was from the fact that anyone who found it could wish for pretty much anything. There was no end to the kinds of nightmares that could unleash. Perhaps, though, there was something else about the mirror. Something legends and history didn't mention or know.

Frisk was brought out of his reverie by his cell phone ringing. He brought it out of his pocket and answered.

"Hey! It's Undyne!" He couldn't help but smile at the gruff voice.

"What's up?" He heard her try to cover the phone as she shouted at Papyrus.

"Shut up! This was your idea!" Frisk suppressed a snicker at that. "I, uh, need you to deliver something for me. Please?" He smiled and stood up.

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Meet me in front of Papyrus' house. See ya there, punk!" He smiled as he headed for the river.

XXX

After a short ride with the ever-enigmatic Riverperson, he was back in Snowdin, and it was nice to be back. Snowdin seemed quiet, quaint, calm and nice. It had a comfortable atmosphere that he very much enjoyed. Sadly, small villages like it were becoming rare on the surface. He shook those thoughts away as he headed into town, and, sure enough, Undyne was there in front of Papyrus and Sans' house, waiting for him. She smiled and waved as soon as she saw him. "Hey! Long time, no see!" Frisk smiled at her.

"Good to be back. How're things going for you?" She grinned.

"Great! I get to hang with my best student!" she said as she grabbed Papyrus and rubbed her fist against his bare skull.

"Please don't noogie the skeleton!" he whined. She laughed and let him go. Frisk gave Papyrus a sympathetic smile. "It's good to see you again, human! Things have been going well. The Great Papyrus is becoming an even better chef by the day!" Frisk smiled, not about to make any comment on that. He looked at Undyne.

"So, what did you need me to deliver?" Undyne looked a bit embarrassed as she brought out a letter and held it close to her chest. "I, uh, need you to deliver this to Dr. Alphys." Frisk stared at her a moment, and gave a soft smile. From her body language, and her tone, he knew what this was about, and it made him happy and warm inside.

"And I will deliver it quickly, today, and without fail. You have my word, on my Honor." She grinned widely at him, looking at the letter like a mother watching her child head off to school for the first time. He carefully took the letter and put it into his bag.

"Oh, and if you read it . . ." Frisk held up his hands and smiled.

"I wouldn't dare. Beyond that, it's against the law. A felony, if I remember right." She looked surprised.

"Really?" Frisk nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll deliver it as soon as possible."

"Thanks so much! You're the best!" He smiled and waved as he headed back to the river.

XXX

Back in Hotland, Frisk smiled as he looked at the letter, and approached the door of Alphys' lab. He noticed there was no mail slot, but if he went in and gave it to Alphys, he would be sure it was safely delivered. However, the door did not open. He sighed gently, recalling how upset Alphys was when he last saw her. He put that thought out of his head and slid the letter under the door. She was sure to find it, and he doubted anyone but her regularly entered the lab. He gave it a gentle knock, and was about to turn and leave, when he heard her voice, muffled through the door.

"Oh, no . . . Is that another letter? Oh, I can't. Can't I just slide it back under the door?" Frisk raised an eyebrow at this. There was a soft sigh. "No. I can't keep doing this. I'll read this one." There was a long pause, but he thought he could hear her mutter about how strongly it was shut. He was just about to leave, when the door swished open. "If this is a joke, I don't . . ." She froze when she saw him.

"Alphys, I wanted to apologize for before, about putting you on the spot, and-"

"Oh my god! D-did you write this letter? It wasn't signed, so I have no idea who could have . . ." Frisk stared at her. Not signed?

 _And she called_ me _a weenie . . ._ he thought of the letter's author.

"Oh my god . . . that's adorable." Frisk stared and blinked like an owl. "I-I had no idea y-y-you wrote that way . . ." Was this for real? She looked embarrassed, shifting in place and twisting the hem of her lab coat. "It's so surprising, too. After all the gross things I did to you . . ." Frisk sighed and stepped up to her.

"Hey, did you forget what I said last time? There was no harm, and I wasn't hurt. I still stand by that, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. Please, stop beating yourself up, Alphys." She looked stunned. She blushed a bit, looking totally abashed.

"You . . . really forgive me?" He smiled and nodded. She smiled and giggled. "Okay, I'll do it! It's the least I can do to make it up to you! Yeah, let's go on a date!" Frisk was nodding, until his brain processed that last part. Wait, what? Date? Before he could say anything, Alphys scampered off into her lab, saying she was going to go get ready. Frisk stood there, still as a statue. Undyne was gonna kill him. Slowly. Frisk was brought out of his reverie by Alphys returning, dressed in a black and white polka dotted dress. "How do I look? My friend helped me pick out this dress." Frisk blinked, trying to get his mind working again.

"It looks really nice. The colors suit you just fine!" Frisk was in unfamiliar waters, but tried to be kind, polite, considerate and friendly. Alphys looked embarrassed and a bit shy.

"Um, thanks. So, uh, let's do this thing!" Frisk smiled at her.

"Well, where shall we go?" Alphys looked flustered.

"I . . . Well, I, uh . . ." Frisk smiled gently, coming closer, but stayed far enough away she was comfortable.

"Lady's choice," he said gently and kindly. She looked up in his sapphire eyes, and she felt her mind ease. "Um, why don't . . . we, uh. Well, why don't we go to the garbage dump?" Frisk just smiled and offered her to show the way.

XXX

Alphys sighed as they arrived. "Ah, here we are! This is where Undyne and I come all the time." Frisk smiled.

"So sad people throw away so much. So many items could be fixed or recycled," he mused.

"I know! Just look at that old TV! You could take out the screen, replace any broken parts, and have a perfect monitor! I once found a perfectly good computer keyboard! All it had were a few bite marks in it from a dog! Nothing damaged." Frisk sighed and shook his head at the waste.

"Such a waste."

"Yes, that's what Undyne said, and . . " Alphys trailed off, and the color drained from her. "Oh my god. That's her over there! I can't let her see me on a date with you!" Frisk looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"Why?" He knew the reason, but he hoped his gentle push might get her to start admitting her real feelings.

"Huh? Uh, because, she . . . I, uh well. Oh no! Here she comes!" Alphys quickly hid behind a trashcan as Undyne came walking up, dressed in a jacket. She looked surprised to see Frisk.

"Hey, there you are! I realized, uh, if you deliver that thing, I, uh . . . it might be a bad idea."

" _You think?"_ Frisk thought as he eyed where Alphys was hiding.

"So, I'm gonna do it! Gimme the letter!" Frisk held up his hands and shook his head.

"Already delivered, as you asked." She looked flustered, and a bit mad.

"Ngaah! Have you at least seen her?!" Frisk lightly nodded. "You have? Then she's here somewhere. I'll go look. Thanks." With that, Undyne ran off. Frisk watched her go, and looked back at the trashcan that had a yellow tail.

"You can come out, now." She stood and came out of hiding.

"I . . . I guess it's obvious, huh?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"From a mile away." Alphys looked embarrassed.

"I . . . uh. I really like her. A lot." Frisk smiled.

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" She sighed, a soft smile on her face, that turned into a frown.

"No. But . . . I just figured." She fidgeted in place. "It'd be fun to . . .go on a cute . . .ah, p-p-pretend kind of date . . . with you?" She laughed in an embarrassed fashion. She hid her face in her hands. "Oh, god. It sounds even worse when I put it like that." To her surprise, Frisk laughed, and a real, hearty one.

"Alphys, it's okay. We're friends. I understand. I know how you feel about Undyne, and I don't think any less of you for it." She looked up at him, startled.

"Y-you do?! You don't? I, uh, um, I-I-I-" He walked up to her and gently patted her shoulder.

"Alphys, just relax. I'll help you. Now, tell me what about Undyne makes you happy. But, only as much as you're comfortable talking about-"

" _I love her!_ " The force of her declaration almost knocked him off his feet, and certainly blew his hair back. "Oh, her scales, her hair, her confidence! Oh, just thinking about her, I go all jelly-kneed and I can't think straight, and-and . . ." Frisk smiled. "But, there's no way she'd ever want to be with me."

"Why?" She looked at him, shocked.

"I . . . well, I'm just a . . . loser. I've told her so many lies, and she thinks I'm much cooler than I really am. If she gets closer to me, she'll-"

"Find out?" Alphys sadly nodded. Frisk smiled warmly and watched her. "Alphys, tell her the truth." She looked startled.

"Oh my god! I can't do that! If I do, she'll hate me . . ."

"How do you know?" Alphys looked away.

"Anyway, isn't this better? To live a lie where both are happy?" Frisk stared at her for several long, silent moments. He had asked himself that very question more times than he cared to remember. "They say to be yourself, but I don't like who I am. I don't like myself."

" . . . Then change it." She looked up at him. "It's not easy, but you can do it. You can change if you want. But, I think the first step to that is telling the truth. What you asked, about living a happy lie? The problem is that the truth has a funny habit of coming out. The longer you live the lie, the more it hurts when the truth comes out." She looked at him. He frowned. "I'll tell you a story." She looked at him. Frisk looked down at the water. "There once was a woman, whose son was kidnapped. Just a little boy."

"Oh my god!" He didn't respond.

"The police searched all over for him, but they never found any clues at all. Every day she would call them, ask newspapers, place ads, do everything to find her precious son. She never gave up hope." Alphys listened intently, enthralled. "Every time the phone range, she would run to get it, hoping someone had found her baby boy. Every time the doorbell rang, or she heard a knock, she would drop whatever she was doing and rush for it. She was always hoping, always." Alphys was stunned, silent.

" . . . Did . . . did she ever find him?" Frisk didn't look up at her.

"They found a human bone, and made a positive match through DNA. He'd been dead since he disappeared." Alphys' hands flew to her face, covering her mouth.

"Oh, no. That poor, poor mother . . ." Frisk nodded.

"She died not long after she found out. She was crushed. She spent over thirty years, hoping, praying. That's a long time. A long time to grieve, to live with the fear, anguish, regret." He looked at Alphys, who was in tears. "Which is more cruel? To know, one way or another? Or to keep a false hope?" Alphys was stricken. He smiled and offered her a napkin to wipe her tears. She looked at him, saw the gentle kindness in his eyes. She nodded.

"You're right. I can't keep doing this. Every day I'm scared, too. Scared what will happen if people find out on their own. They'll all get hurt because of me." Frisk gently gripped her hand.

"Not if you clear things up. If you're honest, say why you were scared, why you worried, I'm sure most will understand. Even those who don't, they may forgive, in time." She smiled and squeezed his hand. She was glad to know such a kind human.

"B-but how can I tell _Undyne_ the truth?! I don't have the confidence!" Frisk smiled.

"Then we'll roleplay it, of course." She looked surprised at the idea.

"R . . . Roleplay?" Frisk smiled and nodded. She looked thoughtful. "That actually sounds like a great idea! And fun! Which one of us will be Undyne?" Frisk smiled.

"I'm Undyne," he deadpanned, but was amused.

"Oh . . . Right. Obviously." She took a deep breath to calm herself. She smiled nervously at him. "H-hi, Undyne. How're you doing today?" Frisk smiled as he tried to match Undyne's voice.

"I'm fine."

"Oh, uh. That's good. Glad to hear it!" She fidgeted and fussed with her dress, hemming and hawing. "I . . . uh, want to, uh, talk to you, about something."

"What is it, Alphys?" She looked flustered.

"L-look, I. I've got something . . . important to tell you." Frisk tried to mimic Undyne as best he could.

"Hey, calm down. You know you can talk to me about anything. What's wrong?" Alphys began to shake.

" _Oh, Undyne I love you! I love you more than life itself! I've loved you since I first met you and I can't take it anymore! Hold me, Undyne! Hold me!_ " Frisk was blown back a few feet by her outburst. She had some powerful lungs, for sure.

"Say what?" Frisk and Alphys looked up as Undyne came around a corner. Frisk stayed where he was. Alphys looked like a lamb facing down a lion. "What did you just say?" His eyes darted to Undyne, then to Alphys, and back again.

"Oh, uh . . . Undyne. What a . . . surprise to see you down here, he he . . ." Frisk inwardly groaned, hoping Alphys didn't cut and run.

"Hey, cute outfit. What's the occasion?" Undyne looked at him, then Alphys. Her smile faded. Oh boy. "Wait. Are you two . . . on a date?" Frisk's eyes darted between the two of them, then the water, wondering if he could make it before Undyne started hurling her spears at him. He had little doubt she'd hit him at that close range with little trouble.

"Ummm, yes! Ah, no. I mean, well uh . . ." Frisk stared, wondering where this oddball odyssey was going to go. "Well, we were romantically roleplaying as you!" Frisk slapped his hand over his face. Undyne's eye was huge.

" _What?_ " Oh, lordy, this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Ah, I mean . . ."

"Alphys, be honest," he said. They looked at him, but his gaze was focused on Alphys. She looked into his deep, sapphire eyes, and felt a calm strength fill her. She sighed, looked at Undyne.

"Undyne, I've been lying to you!" Undyne was shocked.

"What? What about?"

"About, well . . . everything." He watched as Alphys looked down at the ground. She moved closer, and he hoped it went well. "I told you that seaweed was scientifically important, when I really just use it to make ice cream. And those human history books I keep reading? Those are just comic books. And the history movies? Those are just anime. They aren't . . . real. A-and the time I told you I was busy with work? I was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas!" Frisk stared, and wondered if he should leave. However, he stayed. Alphys needed help and support. He couldn't just duck out. "Please, Undyne! I never meant to hurt you! I never meant to lie! I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!" She and Frisk were surprised when she gently wrapped her arms around her and shushed her.

"Hey, it's all right." Frisk watched silently.

"I just . . . wanted you to like me, and think I was cool and smart. A-and not some . . . nerdy loser.

"Alphys . . ."

"Undyne, I really like you. I think you're really cool."

"Alphys. Shh. Shhhh," Undyne soothed, gently stroking her head. Frisk smiled at this, feeling all warm inside. He was shocked when Undyne stood, tossed Alphys up into the air, who came crashing down into an open trashcan with a basketball hoop over it. Well, he couldn't honestly say he was expecting that outcome, but shouldn't have been surprised.

"Alphys, I . . . I like you, too. But you've gotta realize, most of what you said to me doesn't matter to me. I don't care if you're watching cartoons, or reading history books. Because, to me, all that stuff is just _nerdy crap!_ " Now _there_ was the Undyne he was familiar with! "What I like about you is you're passionate! You're analytical! It doesn't matter what it is! You care about it! At one hundred percent! Maximum power! Full throttle!"

"Pedal to the metal?" Frisk offered.

"Yeah! So, you don't have to lie to me. I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore. Alphys, I want to help you become happy with who you are." That made Frisk smile. If there was anyone who could do that, it was Undyne. "And I know just the training to help you." The lid of the trashcan popped up, and Alphys peeked out just a bit, only her eyes visible.

"U-Undyne . . . You, you're gonna train me?"

"Pffft! Me?" That was when Papyrus rose up from behind a pile of garbage. Frisk stared. "Nah, I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it." Papyrus leaped up and over, landing with a thud.

"Get those bones shakin'! It's time to jog one hundred laps, hooting about how great we are!" Alphys looked nervous. Frisk did _not_ envy her.

"Ready? I'm about to start the timer."

"Um, Undyne? I-I'll . . . do my best!"

"Go!" Frisk was amazed Alphys cold run so fast in a trashcan like that. Frisk spared Undyne a sideways glance, and was hoping he would get out of this unscathed. Undyne's eyes were huge. "Oh my god! She was kidding, right?! Anime's real, right?" She gave him a nervous, but hopeful smile. Who was he to crush hopes?

"Some are. _Rurouni Kenshin_ was pretty good, for the most part."

"Ha! I knew it! I knew the alien-fighting robots and super-fighting fists of Omnidirectional Stars were real!" Frisk wisely said nothing. He liked his head on his neck, thank you. She looked at him and smiled. "Thanks, human. For what you did for Alphys. That was really nice of you." They both glanced away to see Papyrus shouting at a trashcan that was running in front of him.

"Come on and shake the butter off those buns!" That got a laugh out of them both.

"Well, see you later!" With that, Undyne jogged after them. Frisk smiled. While things had not turned out as good as he had hoped, they had gone better than he expected. He turned and headed through the dump to get back to Hotland.

As Frisk walked, he thought on many issues, now that he was alone and could think. There were so many things on his mind. As Sans had said, his adventure was slowly coming to a close. He thought on what Sans has said, and Alphys. What was he going to do? What if he couldn't free the monsters? While he knew the Mirror of Elde was certainly down there, he no longer had any doubts, he wondered on why Alphys was so scared, and saddened. What did they know about the mirror he didn't? Why was it kept a secret? He was Determined to find out. He had to. He was startled when his cell phone rang. He quickly answered it.

"Howdy! If it isn't my good friend the human!" said Papyrus in his deep voice.

"Hey, Papyrus. What's going on?"

"Alphys and I finished our training early. Very early. So I sent her home. _Very_ home." Frisk giggled at that. He could only imagine. Poor Alphys was likely flopped in her bed, feet sore, muscles sore, and wanting to just sleep for a week. Or a month. "Anyways, I feel you should go visit her. I think your presence will do her good." Frisk nodded.

"I will. Be sure and say hi to Sans for me."

"I will."

"And be sure to tell him "knock-knock"." There was a groan and Papyrus hung up. Frisk chuckled. As he neared the river, he stopped and thought. He brought out the cell phone, and one more time, he dialed Toriel's number. The phone rang, and rang, but no response. He sighed and hung up. He had hoped to talk to her, at least one last time. With the way things were going, he had no idea if he would ever see her again. He hoped he could keep his promise, but he knew better than anyone, sometimes, no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't keep them. That didn't mean, though, that he wouldn't move the heavens and the Earth to try and keep them. Frisk found the Riverperson on their boat, calm as ever.

"Tra la la. Where to?"

"Hotland," he replied. They nodded as he stepped onto the boat, which then turned in the river and headed off.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Ghosts of the Past

**Chapter Twelve: Ghosts of the Past**

Frisk thanked the Riverperson, and even offered some gold, but they politely said they had no need of it. Frisk returned to Alphys laboratory, and this time, the door wasn't locked. This made him happy, and he went inside. There was nothing out of place inside the lab, but it had a different feel. He looked around. "Alphys? You here?" he called out. No answer. He frowned and walked into the lab. He noticed a note on the floor. He stooped and picked it up. The handwriting was a bit hard to make out, but he managed:

 _Hey. Thanks for your help back there. You guys . . . your support means a lot to me. But, as difficult as it is for me to say this, you guys alone can't just make all my problems magically go away. I want to be a better person. I don't want to be afraid anymore. And for that to happen, I have to face my own mistakes. I'm going to start doing that right now. I want to be clear; this isn't anyone else's problem but my own. But, if you don't ever hear from me again, I want you all to know the truth. Enter the door to the north of this note. You all at least deserve to know what I did._

 _-Alphys_

 _PS: Frisk, if you're reading this, the answer to your question is through the door._

Frisk looked up at the door, which swished open. He looked back down at the note, and set it down. He was worried, with how she phrased things. He entered the door, and found an elevator inside. He hit the button, and it began to hum. Frisk was startled when the elevator began to shake and rumble, warning alarms going off.

"Warning! Warning! Elevator losing power. EM tether stability lost. Altitude dropping." Frisk suddenly felt weightless as the elevator plummeted into the depths of the lab. He was thrown against the floor and blacked out.

" _Manus amputauit!"_

" _Das sind keine duschen! Das sind gaskammern!"_

" _Erschieß sie! Erschießt sie alle!"_

" _No! Stop!"_

" _Get a rope!"_

Frisk woke with a start. He sighed and rubbed his face. He got to his feet, and found the elevator didn't seem badly damaged. The doors were wide open. He pushed himself to his feet, and walked out into a new place. It was cold. Not like a meat locker, but still it was chill. He shivered a bit, but steeled himself as he ventured in. It was dim, and unlike the rest of the lab, had a grimy, old feeling to it. As he walked down the narrow hall, a monitor popped on in the wall. He blinked and read it.

 _Entry No. 1_

 _This is it . . . time to get to work. The King has asked me to find a way to free us all, and that's what I'm going to do! Time to get studying that mirror . . ._

Frisk was startled. The mirror! At last! He saw a second monitor, and hurried to read it.

 _Entry No. 2_

 _The Barrier is locked by soul power. However, this power cannot be artificially created. But, the King thinks this mirror may hold the key. Without any human souls, this may be our only chance._

Frisk was excited as he moved on to the next monitor to read the next entry.

 _Entry No. 3_

 _This mirror is incredibly powerful. The King doesn't really know where the mirror came from, but he said it was made by humans. That would explain my difficulties, as it has thus far, done nothing. Nothing, that is, except creep me out. There's something about that thing . . ._

Before he moved on, he noticed that the entries were signed, but these were not signed by Dr. Alphys. They were signed by a "W.D Gaster". Frisk found that odd. Maybe this was Alphys' partner, or professor? He moved to read the next entry.

 _Entry No. 4_

 _I had something of a breakthrough today, if you can call it that. I was frustrated, and said I wished I could find out the secrets of this mirror. I was shocked when it spoke! But, it said I "have not the right", and said no more. I couldn't get the reaction again, sadly. But what a discovery! The mirror is alive!_

Frisk stared long and hard at the screen. Alive? That was something the legends never mentioned. Then again, almost nothing was known about it, so he wasn't too surprised, but it would certainly explain a lot. He hurried to read the next entry.

 _Entry No. 5_

 _After my discovery, I told the King, who was pleased. I am now conducting experiments around the clock on the mirror. I know I can make another breakthrough on it! I have everything ready, and am going to try my greatest experiment yet. I'm going to try and talk to the mirror again. I hope this goes as well as I think._

Frisk was growing more and more excited with every entry he read. If the mirror really was down there in the lab, then his quest was finally at an end. His long, hard quest would finally end, after so long. He hurried down the hall, and found a locked room, labeled "Power Room", and it was locked with four, color-coded keys. He put this to the back of his mind, though, as finding out about the mirror was more important. He hurried down a hall, and found more monitors. They blinked on, and he excitedly read them.

 _Entry No. 6_

 _This is it. Time to do what the King asked me to. After the accident in the lab, with the mirror, King Asgore asked me to try another approach to setting us free. He asked me to unleash the power of the soul._

Frisk stared. He noticed that this entry was signed by Alphys. Wait, what happened to the earlier one? He frowned and reread it. His eyes narrowed when he read about an "accident".

"So . . . something happened when this . . . Gaster was experimenting on the mirror," he mused. That would explain why Alphys was so upset. What kind of accident, though? Maybe the other entries would shed light on it? He moved and read the next one.

 _Entry No. 7_

 _According to Gaster's notes, the Barrier is locked with soul power, which is what the human wizards used to make their spell. Since there were seven of them, the power of this spell is equal to seven human souls. According to Gaster, soul power cannot be made artificially, and only derive from what was once living. So, in order to create more, we'll have to use what we have, the souls of monsters . . ._

Frisk stared at that. His eyes flicked to the other monitors. He felt an awful pit in his stomach, but continued to the next entry.

 _Entry No. 8_

 _Extracting a soul from a living monster would require incredible power. Besides being highly impractical, it would instantly destroy the soul's host. And, unlike the persistent souls of humans, the souls of monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's soul last._

Frisk was beginning to have a much better picture, not just of Alphys' research, but also why she was so hesitant for others to find out about it.

 _Entry No. 9_

 _Oh. It's so horrible. What happened. I never knew. Oh, poor Asgore. His son, his only child . . . That horrible mirror! Now I know what happened to Gaster! That awful, awful thing! Oh, if only I had . . . If only I had found out what really happened. Then, the mirror wouldn't have. Oh, Asriel, Chara . . . Poor children . . ._

Frisk was shocked, and stood staring at the screen. So, the mirror did something to the King's son, this "Asriel". That would explain a lot. Who, though, was Chara? He'd heard that name before, but he couldn't recall where. He moved to read the next entry.

 _Entry No. 10_

 _I've done it. Using Gaster's blueprints, I was able to make a machine that will extract from human souls, what I believe is what gives them the strength to persist after death. I will call this power "Determination"._

Frisk moved and read the next entry.

 _Entry No. 11_

 _Asgore asked everyone for monsters that had "fallen down". Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose, and soon, they'll all turn to dust. But, what happens if I inject Determination into them? If their souls persist after death, then freedom may be within our grasp._

Frisk then came into a wider room. It looked a bit like a washing room. There were several sinks, mirrors, etc. It was dark, misty and gloomy. He investigated a room in the back, and found a slot for a key for the Power Room, but no key to be found. He did, though, find a note on the floor, mentioning something about the key dropped in a drain, but the handwriting was hard to make out. He went back out into the room, and looked at the sinks. He tested the faucets, and they seemed to work. When he turned on the third one, though, something that certainly wasn't water flowed out. He jumped back as the ooze took form, into something truly frightening, something like HR Giger would dream of.

They were like many faces melted together, with strange tails more like spinal columns than tails. He was shocked when his cell phone rang, and before he could pick it up, he heard static and then voices, all distorted and garbled, but he could make out enough to chill him to the bone:

" _Come join us."_ He looked up at them. They didn't seem to be ghosts, as true ghosts had no bodies, and these clearly did. Frisk shook his head, backing away. _"That's a shame . . ."_ They faded away. He sighed in relief.

"What . . . what was that? Where did that thing come from?" He sighed, and noticed a red key on the ground. He hurriedly scooped it up and put it on his keychain. He went back into the room, put the key in the slot and turned it, and hurried out of the room.

Frisk was even more unsettled. Not only by the revelations about the Mirror of Elde, but these things in the lab. Were they the product of the mirror, and the accident? What of this Gaster fellow? Were they somehow his creations, intentional or otherwise? There were so many questions that needed answers. Frisk returned to the main room, passed the Power Room, noting one of the four lights was one, and headed deeper into the labs. He found more monitors and entries on the walls.

 _Entry No. 12_

 _Things aren't going well. None of the bodies have turned to dust, so I can't get the souls. I told the families I would give them the dust back for the funerals. People are calling me and asking what's going on. What do I do?_

 _Entry No. 13_

 _Oh my god! One of the bodies opened their eyes!_

Frisk stared at that. Alphys . . . brought back the dead? That one genuinely shocked him. He kept moving, and found another large room, this one filled with beds, like a hospital. It was still misty and gloomy. He noticed a big bowl of dogfood in a corner. As Frisk walked through, his hand brushed a bed, and he felt something cold and metallic. He looked down, and found a yellow key. He carefully picked it up and put it on his keychain. It looked like it had been just left there. He went through a door into a long hallway, where there were mirrors, and, to his great surprise, flowers. Yellow flowers. The same kind he had seen elsewhere. There was a monitor with several entries.

 _Entry No. 14_

 _We'll need a vessel to wield the monster souls when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the souls of other monsters, just as a human cannot absorb other human souls. So, then . . . what about something that is neither human, nor monster?_

 _Entry No. 15_

 _I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want it to be a surprise. In the center of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. A flower from the surface. It appeared just before the Queen left. I wonder . . . what happens when something without a soul gains the will to live?_

 _Entry No. 16_

 _Experiments on the vessel are a failure. It doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. Whatever. It's a hassle, anyways. The seeds stick to you and won't let go._

Frisk looked at the golden flowers, and wondered, thinking back to a certain flower. Could it be? He glanced at the flowers in a bed of dirt. That would certainly make sense. Frisk walked down the hall, past the mirrors, not at all paying attention, until, much to his shock, something seemed to jump out of the mirror. He fell backwards out of surprise. Like the other thing, this one seemed to be a fusion of several monsters, and he could see a few of them, but it looked like an odd bird in overall form. He looked at him, it's large, single eye fixing on him. It took a few shaky steps forward. He stood up, trying to be slow and careful. He carefully raised his hand.

"Peace be with you," he said softly. It seemed to take notice of this, and stopped. It looked at him, blinked, and then seemed to vanish. With a soft sigh, he continued down the hall. He found the next keyhole, but this one was blue, not yellow. He headed back out, through the bedroom, and found more monitors.

 _Entry No. 17_

 _At first, I thought nothing was happening. I injected everyone with Determination, but nothing happened. I want this to work. It_ has _to work! Then, one of the bodies opened their eyes! I thought they were all goners, but now, they're up, walking around and talking like nothing's wrong._

While this should have sounded happy, Frisk felt something, a pinch in his gut at this.

 _Entry No. 18_

 _Now that Mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore. Except to ask when I'm going to finish his body. But I'm afraid that if I finish his body, he won't need me anymore, and we'll never be friends again. That aside, every time I work on it, I get all sweaty._

That made Frisk smile sadly. He had a much better understanding of Alphys. He looked at the next entry.

 _Entry No. 19_

 _It looks like this research is a dead end. But, at least we got a happy ending out of it! The families are going to be so happy to have their loved ones back! While Asgore was a bit disappointed, he was so happy about the news! I returned the souls to him, and put the vessel back in his garden. I called all the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone home tomorrow._

Frisk sighed, and knew it likely didn't have as happy an ending as that. He still had plenty of the lab left to visit, and he was sure, more to discover. He turned right, and went down the hall. He found a huge wall of fans. He saw a switch, and smiled lightly. If it could clear some of the mist, and help him see, why not? He walked forward and flipped the switch. The wall of fans, each as big as he was, began to hum and whir, the air clearing up. He smiled, but it disappeared when he saw what was clinging to the ceiling.

A huge, white form dropped down. Frisk backed up against the wall as it came closer. With the narrow hall, there was no room to maneuver, no room to dodge. His only hope was to peacefully end the encounter. Frisk noticed many dog-like qualities. The ears of the creature perked up, and it made a whining sound. He very gently offered his hand for it to sniff, even though it had a hole where a face should be. It sniffed and whined. He gently petted it, and it wagged its tail. Frisk smiled sadly at the being before him. The legs all looked like they had been different dogs at one point. It nuzzled its head against him, but Frisk only smiled as he petted it. The poor thing didn't want to hurt him, that was clear. It curled into a large ball on the floor, and began to snore before vanishing. Frisk went back down the hall the other way, and found another entry in the journals of this bizarre place.

 _Entry No. 20_

 _No. No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening!_

Frisk sighed and continued on. He saw an open doorway, and carefully went in. He saw movement behind a curtain in what seemed to be a shower room. "Hello? Anyone there?" he called out. There was no response. He came closer, and the movement stopped and faded. He pulled back the curtain, and found nothing but a green key laying in the bottom of the shower. He knelt, put it on the keychain, and headed back out. He next came into a large room with a huge, strange machine in the middle of the room. It looked like an odd skull, reminding him almost of a deer's skull in some ways. There was a door nearby, which he headed for. Frisk then found himself in a room with a large TV, and shelves of what looked like VHS tapes. There were a few next to the player. They were labeled with numbers. He glanced at the TV, then the player. The green power lights for both were on. He carefully took the tape numbered "One", and put it into the player. The player whirred and there was a tiny bit of static as the word "Play" was displayed on the screen.

"Pssst. Gorey, wake up." He snapped to attention. That was Toriel's voice! There was a moan, and a deep voice. The screen stayed black, however.

"Mmm? What is it, dear? And why do you have a camera?" The voice was very deep and masculine. There was a giggle from Toriel.

"Shush! I want to get your reaction. Gorey, dearest, what's my favorite vegetable?"

"Um, carrots, right?"

"No, no, no! My favorite vegetable is Eda-Mom-e! Get it?" she giggled. There was a tired groan.

"Go back to bed, dear. There were more giggles from Toriel.

"Not yet. If I were a dog, what breed would I be?" There was another tired groan.

"I don't know. What breed would you be?"

"I'd be a Momeranian!" This got a hearty, deep laugh.

"That's a good one! You sure are excited to have this child. Keep this up, and one day you could become a famous Momedian!" There was silence.

"Well, I'm going to bed."

"Come on, Tori! That one was funny!"

"I know. I was just teasing. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, honey.

"Oh, maybe it's too dark for the video to come out . . ." The tape then ended. Frisk was surprised at all of it. He ejected the tape, put it back, and put in the next one. Again, like before, the screen was black, but he could hear birds singing. It sounded like a park, or forest.

"Okay, Chara, are you ready? Do your creepy face!" Frisk blinked. It was the voice of a child, a little boy. It sounded familiar, but from where? And Chara? He had heard the name before, he was sure. There was a scared yelp from the video. Then there was giggling, and he thought he heard the voice of a girl, somewhere. "Oh, wait a minute! I had the lens cap on!" There was something said, but it was barely heard. "What? You're not gonna do it again? Come on! Quit tricking me!" the boy giggled and the tape ended. Frisk ejected it and put in the next one.

"That must've been the King's son. Asriel," Frisk mused. As before, the screen was black, but he heard more birds singing, and a slight breeze.

"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera! Ha! This time, I got you! I left the lens cap on . . . on purpose! Now you're smiling for no reason!" Asriel giggled. He heard that soft, female child's voice again, but it was hard to make out, Frisk straining to hear, but the only word he could make out was "remember". "Huh? Yeah, I remember. Huh? Yeah, that big mirror? Yeah, I know about it. Dad says it's always been here. What? Turn off the camera? Ok . . ." The tape ended. This had Frisk's attention. He carefully replaced the tape and put in the next one.

The screen stayed black as before, but he could hear birds chirping, and guessed this was close to the previous tape in terms of when it was made. "I . . .I don't like this idea, Chara. Dad said the mirror could be . . .What? No, I . . .I'm not. Big kids don't cry." Frisk could hear distress in Asriel's voice. He once again heard that soft, female child's voice, but could hardly make out a word, other than the word "scared". "Yeah. You're right. No. I'd never doubt you, Chara! Never! Yeah, we'll be strong. We'll free everyone. I know where dad keeps the key. I'll go get it . . ." Frisk sighed as he ejected the tape and put it back. He looked at the fifth and final tape and put it into the machine. One last time, the screen was black, but this time, he could hear sounds like humming machinery.

"Chara, can you hear me? We want you to wake up. Please wake up . . ." That was Toriel's voice.

"Chara! You have to stay determined! You can't give up! Please! You're the future of humans and monsters!" That deep voice, it had to be Asgore.

"Chara. Please. Please wake up. I . . . I don't like this plan anymore. What? What's Plan B? What? But . . . no. I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just need six. We'll get them together . . ." The final tape ended. Frisk sat back and thought, carefully putting all the pieces together, but the picture was still incomplete. He stood up and headed out of the AV room, but noted the keyhole in the wall. There was also another monitor with a data entry on it. He walked up and read it.

 _Entry No. 21_

 _Monsters' physical forms can't handle Determination like humans' can. With too much Determination, our bodies begin to break down. Everyone's melted together._

Frisk sighed, now having a firm answer as to just what these creatures were. They were the results of Alphys experiments with Determination extracted from the captured human souls. It seemed, though, it was not at all intentional on her part, and all indications were, she was as surprised as he was. He spared the TV one last look, and headed out.

Frisk was deep in thought, so he didn't notice something forming a puddle near the large, skull-like machine. He came very close to stepping in it, but that was close enough for it to grab his leg with a viselike grip. He yelped as the creature formed, with large, angry eyes, big teeth, and a body that was heavily muscled.

" _Welcome to my hell,_ " it hissed. Frisk jerked his leg out of its grip, but it got in front of him, stopping him from escaping. "Do you think I'm pretty?" it hissed. Frisk tried to stay calm.

"Yes. Very much so."

"Liar!" it hissed and bared its large teeth more, storming after him. Frisk backed away. This wasn't good. This one wasn't going to back down or go peacefully. As it was about to pounce, a large ball of ice impacted it and shattered. It hissed and shrieked. Frisk looked up at it retreated, and he saw another one of these creatures. These Amalgamates. This one, though, was far more familiar. It was a Snowdrake, but this one had what looked like turnips for eyes, melted legs, and one true eye on the top of its head.

"Mean . . . go . . . away . . ." it moaned in a female voice. The other creature fled. Frisk got up and looked at it.

"Thank you," he said.

"Kind . . . child. Miss . . . my . . . son . . ." Frisk looked at her.

"Wait a minute. Your son. Does he tell jokes?" She perked up.

"Yesss . . . Sno . . .wy." Frisk could hardly believe it. He felt like he was stabbed in the chest.

"You're son's an . . . ice guy." She gave a soft chortle.

"Sno . . .wy." Frisk felt tears.

"They . . . they miss you." She looked sad. Frisk looked around. "Here, follow me, and I'll get you out of . . ." when he looked back, she was gone. He heaved a heavy sigh. He looked up at the huge machine and checked the console. It was the Determination Extraction machine. Frisk looked at it, then headed into the next room.

In the next room, there were several entries in the walls. Frisk walked up and read them.

 _Entry No. 22_

 _The families keep calling to ask when everyone is coming home. What am I supposed to say? I don't even answer the phone anymore._

 _Entry No. 23_

 _Asgore called and left five messages today, four about everyone being angry. One was about a cute teacup he found that looks like me. Thanks, Asgore. At least there's something good in this mess._

 _Entry No 24_

 _I spend all my time at the garbage dump, now. It's my element._

Frisk frowned as he moved through the room, and found a key-holder, that had a blue key hanging from it. He took it, headed into the room, and put the green key in and turned it. He then headed back through the lab, carefully watching his steps, and unlocked the rest of the locks. He returned to the main room, and the door to the Power Room was finally unlocked. He entered, and found a large elevator with two doors. It was powered down at the moment, so he continued through. He found a couple more monitors in the next hall, but as the power was off, they were not on. He continued into the next room, and, sure enough, there was a huge circuit breaker. He gave a soft sigh as he stepped over, and flipped the massive lever up to turn the power back on. He frowned when he felt the temperature in the room drop. He could see his own breath. He heard a noise, and whirled. His eyes widened.

All of the Amalgamates were in the room, coming closer. He had seen most of them, but some he hadn't, and those didn't look friendly. He glanced around. This wasn't looking good. Calming and befriending them one at a time wasn't too hard, but all at once? This could be a problem. They cackled as they came closer.

"Hey! Stop!" called a familiar voice. He was surprised when Alphys came running in. "I got you guys some food, okay!" To his surprise, they left. "Sorry about that. They get kind of sassy if they don't get fed on time." He looked at her.

"They wanted to eat me?" She looked horrified.

"No! No, no, no! They probably thought you had something for them." Frisk sighed with relief. "The power went out, and I've been trying to get it back on! But, it seems like you were one step ahead of me. I know it was probably inconvenient for you, but thanks for coming to back me up." Frisk sighed and nodded his head.

"That's what friends do, Alphys. They help each other. When I read your note, about you not coming back . . ."

"Oh, it wasn't because of these guys or anything! I was . . ." She looked down at the floor. "Afraid, that I wouldn't have the courage to tell the truth. That I might run away or do something . . . cowardly." Frisk watched her for a few moments.

"True courage doesn't mean you're not scared, Alphys. It means doing what you're afraid to do." She looked up at him. She smiled softly, then looked back down at the floor.

"I suppose you deserve an explanation. You deserve to know. As you probably already know, King Asgore hired me to research the nature of souls, in order to find a way to break the Barrier."

"But, before that, they were researching the Mirror of Elde." She looked at him briefly, then back to the floor.

"Yes. That was Worman Derrick Gaster, my teacher. He was the most brilliant monster scientist who ever lived. He was a genius! He designed and built the Core!" She paced as she spoke, not looking at Frisk. "Then, Asgore asked him to research the mirror. At first, it confounded even him. Then, he made a breakthough. He was so excited. Then, something horrible happened." Frisk saw the anguish on her face. "Nobody knows what really happened, but there was a terrible explosion, and a good part of the lab was destroyed. They never found anything of Gaster, not even dust. The mirror, though, wasn't even scratched!" Frisk watched as she paced back and forth, recalling what had happened. "After that, Asgore had the mirror locked in the castle again, to keep it safe. We really thought, at that time, that it was an accident in the lab, that some machine or something had malfunctioned. But then . . . then . . . Oh," Alphys couldn't finish, her voice breaking.

"The mirror killed Chara, didn't it?" Alphys looked up at him, and nodded sadly.

"After that, Asgore was so angry, he grabbed the mirror and threw it at the Barrier. It passed right through, and it hasn't been seen since." Frisk sighed heavily at this. Alphys tugged and twisted the hem of her lab coat. "So, you see? The Mirror of Elde isn't even in the Underground anymore. You'd have to get past the Barrier. But, the only way you could do that . . . is with a monster's soul, as well as yours." Frisk stared at her. She looked up at Frisk, her eyes truly sad. "For you to leave, you'd have to kill Asgore, and take his soul." Frisk ran his hand through his hair. "After that, Asgore hired me to research human souls, and possibly find a way to break the Barrier. If we could gather enough monster souls, we would have enough to equal a human one. Or, make them more powerful. Then, we wouldn't need a seventh human soul." Frisk smiled sadly at her.

"But that didn't pan out well, did it?" She shook her head.

"Yes. And, as you already know, after my experiments with Determination failed, those were the result. It hurt, to know their families missed them, and to know how disappointed and sad they would be. I . . . I couldn't bear to do that to them." Frisk could hear the genuine heart and care in her voice.

"They deserve to know." Alphys nodded.

"You're right."

"Mrs. Snowdrake misses her son and husband, and I know they miss her a lot. At the very least, they can have one, final goodbye. And that's worth more than all the gold, jewels, wealth and power in all the world." She looked up at him, the power he said those words with, no matter how calm his voice. She smiled.

"You're right! That's why, I'm going to tell everyone the truth. It will be hard, but I'll do my best. I know I'll still struggle, and screw things up, but, at least I have friends to fall back on." She looked at him. "Friends like you." Frisk smiled and hugged her. She pulled back and gave a genuine smile. "Time to be honest. I'm going to go take them all home!" Frisk nodded. Alphys moved to leave.

"Alphys!" She stopped and looked back. Frisk sighed softly, looking conflicted. He looked up at her. "Can you get a message to the Ruins for me?" he asked. She looked surprised.

"The Ruins? They've been locked for years." Frisk smiled sadly.

"Someone precious to me is there. Can you get a message to her?" Alphys looked unsure.

"Um, well, I can try?" He nodded. It would have to suffice.

"Please tell Toriel . . . That I'll always love her, and I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise." Alphys stared at him as a single tear streamed down his face. "Do that, and we'll call it all even, okay?"

"Oh, Frisk . . ." He smiled half-heartedly and waved at her.

"Ah, get going, before you lose your nerve." She watched him for a moment. Mrs. Drake slowly walked in, looking at Alphys.

"Sno . . .wy?" Alphys looked at her, then to Frisk. The human boy nodded to her. Alphys smiled and gently led Mrs' Drake down the hall.

"Let's get you home." Frisk was left alone, in so many ways. His mind was whirling with thoughts and emotions. He sighed heavily and straightened his back. He turned and headed for the elevator. Frisk noticed that the monitors were back on, but one was cracked. The other though, had the final entry, and what it said confirmed his suspicions:

 _Entry No. 25_

 _The flower's gone._

With all of it settled, Frisk stepped into the elevator. He was surprised when his cell phone rang. He answered it, and heard a voice he didn't recognize. It was the voice of a man. Not as deep as Asgore's, but certainly male.

"Chara? Are you there? It's been a long time, hasn't it? But you've done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. Chara . . . see you soon." The doors of the elevator shut, and it began to rise. The display near the buttons displayed the destination: _New Home._ Frisk took a deep breath. This was it, he was finally reaching the end of the quest. One way or another, it was going to end. He just wished that he could see Toriel, one last time. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Frisk faced the doors, and destiny, his Determination never wavering.

" _Who wants to live forever?"_ he said as he walked into the light.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: The Last Hurrah

**Chapter Thirteen: The Last Hurrah**

Frisk walked out into the light of the monsters' capitol city, New Home. He walked down, what seemed to be an alleyway, and saw the grand city of the monsters. The stone was all gray, it reminded him very much of Medieval castles and towns in Europe. The buildings were grand, but there was a coldness, a lack of color. A lack of hope. He looked around, and it was silent. Eerily so. His footsteps were almost as loud as small gunshots in the deafening quiet. He walked on, and on, and on, never seeing any movement of any sort, anywhere. He followed the path towards the castle in the distance. All the while, his mind was putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.

He knew now that the Mirror of Elde had somehow killed this Chara, who was Asriel's sister. Since the mirror was of human make, that would explain why Asgore hated humans, and wanted to kill them. But, some things were still unresolved, some pieces still missing. He also now knew that Toriel was the King's wife, the former Queen. So, then, why was she in the Ruins? Did he exile her for siding with humans? Could she not stand to be in a city and place that reminded her of her dead daughter? What of Asriel? Did he still live in the castle with the King? There were still holes in the story to be filled.

Frisk looked up as he entered a courtyard, and was shocked to find he knew it. It looked just like the outside of Toriel's house! The only differences were the color of the stone, and the absence of a tree, but it was almost an exact clone of that place. Frisk slowly walked along the stone path, into the house ahead. Just as outside, the inside was also exactly the same, save for a few, tiny differences. The walls and floors were various shades of off-white and grays, but the stairs were the same, the vase in the same place. He noticed the golden flowers, the only color he had seen thus far. He walked into the living room. There was a chair sitting by the fireplace, just like Toriel's. Chairs and a table sat nearby, a vase with more of the golden flowers inside sitting in the middle. He glanced into the kitchen, and it also was exactly the same. As he walked back, he heard the voices of monsters, echoing in the air.

" _A long time ago, a human fell into the Ruins. Injured by her fall, she called out for help . . ."_ Frisk stopped and stared as he listened. More voices began to drift to his ears, telling the story.

" _Asriel, the King's son, heard the human's cries. He brought the human back to the castle . . ."_ Frisk found a golden key, laying on the table, and picked it up, continuing through the home. He came to the hall, and saw several doors. He opened the door, and his guess was right.

Inside was a children's room, but instead of a single bed, there were two. The toys were dusty, and the beds had obviously not been used in a very long time. He noticed a picture frame on a dresser. He looked, and saw, to his amazement, a whole family. Toriel was smiling at the camera, along with a large monster with a beard, wearing a crown, who could only be Asgore. Between them were two tiny children. One was a monster, who looked to be a little boy. The other was a human, to Frisk's surprise. Even more surprising, was the how much they looked alike. The pictured child had similar hair, clothes, was mostly the same size. He couldn't tell their gender, so they could easily be mistaken for a boy or girl, but this was obviously Chara. Asriel was smiling, his arms filled with golden flowers, as was Chara, but the human partially hid their face, looking shy.

He looked down, and saw, at the base of the photo, was a gold and red locket in the shape of a heart. He carefully turned it over, and saw an inscription engraved on the back: _Best friends forever._ He set it back down, and saw, on the other side of the dresser was an old, beaten and worn-looking knife in a sheath. It clearly had seen better days. He stepped back, and could almost hear the ghostly echos of the laughter of children. Frisk looked sadly at this sacred place of innocence. Frisk left the room, making sure not a single thing was disturbed, and left as it was when he entered.

He went further down the hall, and found, what would have been Toriel's room was locked, a sign said "Under renovations". There were more golden flowers in vases. He heard more voices of monsters, echoing their story.

" _Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the human as their own child. The Underground was full of hope."_ Frisk opened the last door, and found it was a large room with a King-sized bed. There was an open diary on the desk, and it looked like it hadn't been left there too long ago. The ink was still fresh. The simple entry just said _Nice day._ He looked around, and saw a trophy. Engraved on the base were the words _No. 1 Nose-Nuzzle Champs '98!_ Frisk felt pain in his heart. This had been such a happy family. He saw a silver key on the desk, and took it. He swallowed the lump in his throat, walked back down the hall and unlocked the chain that barred access to the stairs. He went down the stairs. More monster voices echoed.

" _Then, one day, something awful happened. The human was badly hurt."_

" _The dying human had only one request: To see the flowers in their home village. But, there was nothing we could do."_

" _Then, the next day . . . the human died."_ Frisk walked on, but listened to the tale, as on the echos of the breath of legends.

" _Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul. He became a being of incredible power."_ Frisk's eyes widened as he heard this.

" _With the power of the human soul, Asriel crossed the Barrier. He carried their body into the sunset, back to the human's village."_ Frisk was hardly at all aware of his steps through the hallway, winding around.

" _Reaching the center of the village, he found a bed of flowers, and laid their body onto it."_

" _Suddenly, screams rang out. The villagers saw Asriel holding the child's body, and thought he had killed her."_ Frisk came out into another section of the city, and now he could hear thousands of monster voices, echoing, speaking, praying, weeping.

" _The humans attacked Asriel with everything they had, every weapon and tool. Asriel had the power to utterly destroy them all."_ Frisk listened, captivated and moved by the tale.

" _But . . . Asriel did not fight back. Clutching the human's body, he smiled and walked away."_

" _Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed, his dust spreading across the garden."_ Frisk continued to walk as he felt hot tears sting his eyes.

" _The kingdom fell into despair. The King and Queen had lost two children in a single night. Once again, the humans had taken everything from us."_ Frisk swore he could feel the pain of the monsters as he listened.

" _King Asgore decided to finally put an end to our suffering. Every human who falls down into the Underground must die. With enough souls, we can shatter the Barrier forever."_ Frisk stopped and wiped his tears.

" _It's not long now."_

" _King Asgore will free us. He will save us. He will let us go."_ Frisk choked back a sob, his hand covering his eyes.

" _. . . Why do you cry? You should be smiling too. You should be happy."_

" _. . . You're going to be free."_ Frisk fell to his knees.

Now it all made sense. Now all the pieces had fallen into place, and the picture finally complete. New Home was once again silent, save for Frisk's soft sobs, that seemed to echo everywhere. He sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He gave a shuddering breath, steadied himself against a wall, and looked out at the city. The monsters never did anything to deserve this. They deserved to have hope, and happiness as much as any humans did. Frisk stood up to his full height, his resolve steeled. He turned and strode onwards.

He came into a hall that was filled with golden light from beautiful stained glass windows that displayed the Delta Rune. Ornate, carved pillars were everywhere, all along the walls. He glanced around as he walked. He was surprised when he heard a bell tolling. It chimed three times, and then fell silent. He looked around, and when he glanced back, he saw a shadow, cast by a figure by one of the pillars.

"So . . . you finally made it." Frisk did not move, or react at all. "The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you'll meet the King. Together, you both will determine the fate of this world . . . But that's then, this is now. Now, you shall be judged." Frisk stared at them, not betraying any emotion at all. "You'll be judged for your every action. Judged, for how much _LOVE_ you've gained." Frisk stared at the shadow. "LOVE is an acronym. It stands for "Level Of Violence". In short, it quantifies your ability to hurt, and inflict pain on others. The more you have, the easier it is for you to hurt others, and the less you feel. The more you kill and hurt, the easier it becomes, the easier it is to distance yourself."

The shadow moved, and revealed it was Sans, who grinned at him. "But you never did that, did ya?" Frisk smiled softly, but sadly at him. "Course, that doesn't mean you're innocent, or naïve, but that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart, no matter the struggles or hardships that you faced. You always strived to do the right thing. You refused to hurt anybody. And even when you ran away, you did it with a smile on your face. I'm proud of you, buddo." Frisk smiled sadly at him.

"Thank you, Sans. That means a lot." The skeleton nodded.

"Now . . . now the greatest challenge of your journey awaits. Your actions will determine the fate of the whole world. If you refuse to fight, Asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity. But, if you kill Asgore and go home . . . monsters will remain trapped underground." Frisk sighed and looked up at the windows, at the Delta Rune. "So, what will you do?" Frisk continued to stare at the soft, golden light.

"I'm not sure." Sans watched the boy, and he saw that look again, that depth in his eyes.

"If I were you, I'd have thrown in the towel by now." Frisk chuckled.

"Yes, well, we can't all be like you, Sans. Then you wouldn't be so special." Sans laughed.

"Well, you've got a lot of Determination, kid. Follow your heart. We're all rooting for you." With that, Sans stepped back into the shadows and was gone. Frisk took a deep breath and headed down the corridor. He followed it down, and around until he came to a large door with a sign next to it. _Throne Room_ it read. He steeled himself for what was ahead. He headed inside.

Frisk was quite surprised by the throne room. Soft light was filtering in, grass, bushes and a large bed of golden flowers replaced where human monarchs would have lavish floors of polished marble, sumptuous velvet carpets, and the like. Standing in the middle, with their back turned, was a large monster who could only be the King. Frisk took a few steps forward, and heard the King humming. Frisk cleared his throat, but there was no response. He tried again, louder this time.

"Oh? Is someone there? Just a moment. I've almost finished watering these flowers." Frisk was surprised, not just by how deep his voice really was, but also by his kind demeanor. Was this really the King who wanted to exterminate humanity? Then again, Frisk had known many people who were good at hiding who they truly were, and he had known some people who were very kind to their own people, but ruthless to enemies. "Ah, there we go. All done!" The King put down a watering can of brass and tin, and turned to face Frisk. His horns were even bigger than they looked in the photo. "Howdy! How can I . . ." he trailed off and stared when he saw Frisk, taking a few steps back. Frisk took a deep breath and bowed.

"Your Majesty, it's an honor to meet you." Asgore seemed genuinely shocked by this.

"Oh, it's . . . ah, nice to meet you, too." Asgore looked to the side, looking conflicted. "I do badly want to say "would you like a cup of tea?" But, well . . . you know how it is." Frisk nodded slowly. Asgore slowly paced a few steps away. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Birds singing, flowers blooming. Be a nice day to play catch." Frisk smiled sadly and nodded. It was quite clear that Asgore didn't want to do this, really. He didn't want to fight. Asgore looked at him. "You know what we must do."

"Why? It's not necessary." Asgore looked surprised at Frisk's words. Asgore looked at Frisk, and he saw deep into those deep, sapphire eyes. Saw a depth of wisdom there, as well as weariness. He looked down at the flowers, then back at the back of the room. He looked back at Frisk.

"Follow me," he instructed. Frisk followed, and didn't fail to notice the second throne, covered with a cloth at the back of the room. Frisk followed Asgore, who was silent, but still seemed hesitant. He followed him to another door, and stepped into a room where there was a strange presence.

Frisk stared in awe as he felt the power pulsing in time with the colors of the Barrier before him. "Behold the Barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground." Frisk stepped forward, awed at the powerful magic, but also a bit angry. He recognized some of it. Asgore watched as Frisk knelt and tapped the Barrier with his finger. To the King's surprise, the whole, pulsing thing rippled like a pond when an acorn drops in. Frisk glanced up, and could see a bit of vague sunlight shining through with the golden light of sunset.

"So . . . this is the Barrier. This is the magic wrought by the seven greatest wizards of humanity. All for an unjust cause. They all should have had their magic sealed." Asgore was surprised at the force Frisk spoke with as he stood. "Fools. Fearful, blind, idiotic fools, all of them." He turned to Asgore, eyes bright. "Your people never did any harm. They never deserved this." He stared as Frisk spoke. Frisk looked at the Barrier again. "I know. About the Mirror of Elde." Asgore gasped at this.

" . . .You . . . know?" Frisk nodded.

"Yes. And I came here to find and use it to break the Barrier. But, since it's beyond the Barrier, now, well . . ." Asgore closed his eyes and sighed.

"Child, you have no idea what that mirror was capable of. All it brought was chaos and destruction to us. It killed our greatest scientist, destroyed a lab utterly, and took the life of an innocent child! And a human child, no less! No. That thing was an abomination, and had I the strength, I would have shattered it gladly." Frisk could feel the pain in his voice. Frisk closed his eyes and sighed.

"Let us talk plainly, you and I. What do you want? Truly, in your heart of hearts, your deepest soul, what do you want?" Asgore looked at Frisk, and felt not like he was talking to a child, but more like he was talking with another adult.

"I want my people to be free. That is all I want."

"And what of humanity? Do you really wish to kill them all? With more than seven billion human beings in the world, that's a tall order." Asgore looked shocked.

"Seven . . . billion?" Frisk nodded.

"Do you want all that blood on your hands? Do you really want to hear the screams of women and children?" Asgore looked horrified.

"No! I-I . . . I would never . . ." Frisk sighed.

"Your Majesty, I have lived among humanity, and I can say that their lot is already a hard one. Many try to struggle just to get by each day. Many would gladly be friends to monsters. Wasn't Chara human?" Asgore trembled, a lone tear shining on his face. Frisk walked around and stood a few feet away from Asgore, who stood with his back to the Barrier. The King sighed, and made a motion with his hands. Seven glass jars appeared, each holding a glowing, amorphous light. They each were a different color: light blue, dark blue, purple, orange, yellow and green. The last jar was empty. Asgore looked at them, staring deeply at the energy of the captured human souls. He looked at Frisk.

"Human . . . It was nice to meet you. But, I must put the good of my people first." Frisk smiled sadly.

"As any good ruler must do. I don't fault you for it." Asgore gave a small, sad smile as he nodded.

"Thank you. And . . . good bye." Those words hard hardly left his lips, when a shrieking hiss cut through the air. Frisk was shocked when a blazing blue fireball hit Asgore square in the chest, knocking him back into the Barrier, to then bounce away like a pinball with a yelp. Frisk stared in shock, and looked back as a tall figure came running up. No. Was he seeing things? Was it really . . .?

"What a nasty creature, torturing a poor, innocent child." Frisk's eyes welled with tears. Toriel smiled as she stopped a few feet away. "Don't be afraid, my child. I'm here." Frisk couldn't, and wouldn't hide his emotions. He wiped his eyes, but smiled at her, so glad to see her again. Her smile was as warm and tender as he recalled. "At first, I thought I should let you make your journey alone. But I couldn't stop worrying about you. Your journey must have been so treacherous." She smiled at him, and his heart filled with warmth and joy once more. "I received a message, and when I read it, I knew that I couldn't leave such a sweet, innocent child, and one so kind and caring, to have to suffer, to have to make a horrible choice. So, I came as fast as I could." Frisk smiled at her. Toriel. His mother. "Even if he has done horrible things, Asgore deserves mercy as well." Frisk wanted to run up and hug her right then and there. He was surprised when Asgore stumbled up to Toriel, looking dazed, but also pleased.

"Tori! You came back!" Toriel whirled and faced him with _The Look._ Her arms were crossed, foot tapping.

"Don't "Tori" me, Dreemurr! You pathetic whelp. You were about to kill this innocent child! Besides that, if you really wanted to save our kind, you could have crossed the Barrier after you got one soul, and then gathered six more from among the humans and broken the Barrier long ago and freed us peacefully, instead of letting us all languish down here while you futilely waited, hoping another human never comes." Frisk saw Asgore's face, and he couldn't hate him. Frisk smiled at her.

"Well, maybe I'm nuts, but I think Asgore couldn't bring himself to go out and take the souls of random humans." They both looked at him, Toriel with an eyebrow raised, Asgore with surprise. "I think, he couldn't bring himself to just go out and take any soul he saw, and thought any human who fell down would likely be a straggler or have no family to miss them." Asgore looked even more shocked.

"H-h-how . . . did you . . .?" Frisk smiled at him happily.

"Not hard to tell, you big softy." Toriel looked at Frisk, then Asgore.

"He's right, Tori. I . . . I couldn't just do to humans . . . what happened to us." She looked surprised, but sighed.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Frisk smiled at this.

"Tori . . . is there any chance we could . . . at least be friends again?" Toriel sighed and rolled her eyes.

"We'll see . . ." Frisk smiled wider at this.

"Ngaaaah! Asgore! Human! Nobody fight! You're all gonna be friends, or I'll-!" Frisk was startled at that familiar gruff voice. He turned as Undyne came running in. He smiled and waved.

"Oh! Is this one of your friends? How wonderful to meet you! I'm Toriel." Undyne looked surprised.

"Uh . . . yeah. Nice to meet you." Undyne stared at Frisk, then Asgore, who looked still a bit forlorn. Undyne walked over and patted Asgore's shoulder. "Asgore, is that your ex? Jeez, dude, that's rough." Frisk giggled at this.

"Nobody hurt each other! Don't fight!" Frisk was surprised when he hard Alphys' voice. The scientist came running up and stopped. Toriel looked happy as she lightly clapped her hands.

"Oh? Another friend? I'm Toriel."

"H-h-hi!" Alphys scampered for Undyne. "Oh my . . . is that the Queen?" Frisk smiled and nodded. Alphys gulped and looked nervous.

"All right, nobody fights anybody!" said Papyrus as he came running into the room. "If you do . . . I'll . . . I'll . . ."

"Have a bone to pick?" Frisk asked.

"Agh! Don't you start, human! My brother's already a bad influence!" Frisk and Toriel giggled at this.

"Hello, nice to meet you," said Toriel.

"Oh, uh . . . Hi, Your Majesty." He looked at Frisk. "Psst. Human. Did Asgore shave? And . . . clone himself?" Frisk laughed at this. He wasn't too surprised to see Sans walk in as casual as anything.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Toriel looked surprised.

"That voice . . ." She walked over and stopped a few feet away from Sans. "Hello, I think we may know each other." Sans grinned.

"Yeah, hey I recognize your voice, too."

"I'm Toriel. It's nice to meet you." Sans nodded.

"Name's Sans. Same here." Toriel looked surprised. She looked at Papyrus.

"Then this must be your brother, Papyrus. It's so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you." Papyrus looked embarrassed.

"Wowzers. I can't believe that Asgore's clone knows my name. This is the greatest day of my life!" Frisk was all smiles at this. Toriel looked at Papyrus, smiling.

"Hey, Papyrus? What does a skeleton roof his house with?" Frisk held in a snicker at this.

"Hmm, snow proof roofing tiles?" he replied. She giggled.

"No, silly. A skeleton roofs his tiles with _shin_ gles!" she laughed. Papyrus looked horrified.

"I changed my mind! This is the worst day of my life!" Frisk laughed at this. Undyne was trying to comfort Asgore.

"Come on, buddy. Cheer up. There's lots of fish in the sea." Alphys smiled at them both.

"Y-yeah! She's totally right about the fish thing! Sometimes you've got to stop going after furry boss monsters and, uh . . . just get to know a really cute . . . fish?" Alphys looked at Undyne, and looked embarrassed. "Um, it's a metaphor," she hastily added. Undyne smiled at her.

"Well, I think it's a good analogy," said Undyne. Frisk smiled at them.

"Oh my god! Will you two just smooch already?! The audience is dying for some romantic action!" said Mettaton from somewhere out in the hall.

"Hey, shut up!" shouted Undyne, her spear appearing in her hand. Undyne let her spear disappear. "Man, the nerve of that guy," she muttered. Frisk grinned and looked at Sans.

"Hey, Sans? Did you just hear a small, tasty bird?" Frisk teased. Sans chuckled and nodded, which made Undyne growl, her face red as her hair.

"Watch it, you little shrimp."

"Who're you calling so short a bug could stomp on him?!" Frisk shot back, getting a few more laughs. Undyne sighed.

"No, they're right! Let's do it!" Frisk was actually surprised.

 _Go, Alphys. Way to go for the initiative,_ Frisk thought. Undyne blushed, scratched her head and tilted her head. Alphys tilted her head up and Frisk looked away as his cheeks heated a bit.

"Wait! Not in front of the human!" Toriel scolded gently. They both snapped back at that.

"S-s-sorry. Got a little carried away!" said Alphys sheepishly. Toriel just giggled. She turned and looked at Frisk, all of his friends together.

"My child, it seems as if you must stay here for a while. But, seeing all the wonderful friends you have made, I think you will be happy here." Frisk smiled as the warmth in his heart filled him. She then reached under the neck of her dress, and pulled out the Amulet. "Here, this is yours. I took good care of it for you, Frisk." He gently took the medallion from her.

"Wow! That's beautiful!" said Alphys. They all stared in awe at the beautiful bronze medallion, and the gems set in it. Undyne whistled.

"Wow. Where'd you get that, kid?" Frisk smiled sadly as he put it back on.

"From a place that no longer lives, and hands that are long dead," he replied. They all stared at him. He smiled and shook his head. "I'll tell you all about it. You all deserve that." They all smiled, even Asgore.

"Hey, Papyrus? You called everyone here. Well, besides Toriel. So, I'm pretty sure I got here before you. So, how did you know to call everybody?" Alphys asked. They all looked at Papyrus.

"Oh, let's just say . . . a little flower told me." Frisk and Alphys both froze at that.

"A . . . little . . . flower?" she squeaked, terror clear in her voice.

Frisk was knocked back by a huge vine that shot out of the ground and wrapped around his friends. It was bigger around than a grown human man, and studded with thorns. Frisk got up, and saw his friends being squeezed.

"No!" He looked down as a familiar face appeared out of the ground.

"You _idiots._ " Frisk growled at Flowey. While you morons were having your little pow-wow, I took the human souls! And now, not only are those under my power, but so will be your friends!"

"Damn you, you noxious weed! You let them go!" Frisk screamed.

"Or what? What are you gonna do? Tell me I'm being mean and ask me to stop? Oh, boo-hoo." Frisk growled as he held the Amulet.

"Or I'll bomb you like Hiroshima!" Flowey looked mildly surprised, but hissed at him, seeming amused.

"Hee hee hee. You can't do anything. I've been watching you. All this time. I've seen you, and I know you don't have it in you to fight back." Frisk growled at Flowey.

"Don't judge by appearances, stinkblossom." Flowey growled at the name.

"Don't you see, you stupid child? It's your fault! If you hadn't made them like you, hadn't listened to them, made them your friends, then they wouldn't be here. Congratulations. _You killed your friends._ " Frisk was almost trembling with rage. "Now, I can achieve my _true form_ ," hissed the flower. What? True form? Frisk looked at his friends, struggling in the vines.

"Leave them alone, I'm the one you want, you retarded rhododendron!" Flowey hissed, seeming happy.

"Oh, yes indeed. I only have six souls. I still need one more. Thanks for reminding me." Flowey laughed as he launched a volley of his white pellets at Frisk, who, much to his surprise, leaped up into the air, twisting and dodging them. "Hmm, clever. But, not enough!" Another wave flew at him, and this time, they connected, knocking Frisk out of the air, a few trailing blood from where they pierced his body.

"No! Frisk!" screamed Toriel.

"Human!"

"Buddy."

"Child!" Frisk hit the ground and groaned as he pushed himself up. Flowey laughed again as he hit him with a vine, the sharp thorns shredding his shirt and leaving cuts behind.

"This time, there's no one to save you." Flowey laughed as he gathered a cloud of pellets and several vines. They all moved at once, with lethal intent.

A wall of flames flared up around Frisk, burning the pellets and vines to a cinder. Flowey looked shocked. "What?"

"Don't be afraid, my child. No matter what happens, we will always be there to protect you," said Toriel. He looked up, and saw her smiling at him from where she hung in the grip of the vines. Frisk struggled to get to his feet.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Flowey, launching another attack of pellets. These were blocked by a bone, and a familiar spear.

"Human, Asgore's clone is right! You can win! Just do what I do! Believe in yourself!" Frisk grunted as he managed to plant a palm on the floor.

"Yeah! If you can get past _me_ , you can do anything! We're all with you! One-thousand percent!" called Undyne. Frisk grunted in pain, shoving his body up, blood seeping from the wounds.

"Come on, kid! This guy's a pushover! This weirdo's got nothing on you," said Sans. Frisk managed to push himself up and put one foot on the ground, the front of his shirt red with blood. Flowey attacked again, and this time, it was blocked by a shimmering force field and more flames.

"Statistically, the odds are against you, but they were before, too! I know you can win!" said Alphys. Frisk's joints crackled as he stood.

"Human! For the future of humans and monsters . . . you must stay Determined!" called out Asgore. Frisk managed to get his body off the ground, swaying, but not about to give in. He glared at Flowey.

" _We're here for you, cutie-pie!"_

" _We got your back, dude!"_

" _We're with ya, bro!"_

" _We're all behind you, dearie."_ Frisk and Flowey looked up, stunned as it seemed every single monster in the Underground was coming. Flowey seemed to actually look scared.

"Uuugh, no!" Flowey moaned.

"Why don't you join me for dinner with my pet?" Muffet hissed.

"Pick on someone your own size, ya big meanie!" called Shaun.

"I'll smash you flat for hurting him!" roared Knight Knight as she smashed the ground with her Morning Star.

"We'll slice ya!"

"And dice ya!" crowed the Royal Guards. All the Snowdin dogs were there, weapons ready and growling.

"uwawawah! Human hurt! Here, Temmie flakes help!" Little Temmie leaped up and threw a glittering pawful of flakes into the air, and as soon as they touched him, he felt the pain leave him. He stood up and smirked at Flowey.

"No! This is unbelievable! This can't be happening!" yelled Flowey.

"Like, get lost!"

"Leave our friend alone!" More and more of the monsters arrived every second, all cheering Frisk on against Flowey. He felt stronger than he ever had. He felt a tiny bit of his Old Strength.

"No . . . no. You . . . you." Suddenly, Flowey laughed. _"You idiots,"_ he hissed. "All your souls are mine!" There was a huge rumble, a bright flash, and Frisk had to shield his eyes.

When Frisk opened his eyes, all the monsters were gone. All of them. Toriel, Undyne, everyone. He was not alone, however.

"Finally. I was so tired of being a flower . . ." Frisk was shocked. He knew that voice. He saw a monster only as big as him. He was dressed in a green shirt with yellow stripes, and black pants. They turned, and he knew the face. Frisk was shocked. They opened their eyes and looked at him. "Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend." Frisk stared.

"Asriel." The little monster smiled and nodded, and there was another flash. The boy monster was replaced by one as big as Toriel was. His clothes were similar, save for the high collar. The whites of his eyes were black, and he had black stripes down each cheek. He grinned menacingly as he floated above the ground. Asriel threw out flames, almost the same as Toriel did, and Frisk dodged them like before, what seemed a lifetime ago. Asriel looked unimpressed as the room glittered and glowed, the Barrier shifting colors as they battled. Asriel almost lazily threw a hand up, and balls of energy began to fall from the sky, like shooting starts. Frisk jumped, bobbed, wove and avoided the fragments. He seemed more impressed by this.

"Not bad. You know what? I don't care about destroying this world anymore," said Asriel with an amused shrug, hands raised. Frisk sensed danger, and leaped back to avoid lightning that came very close to cooking his goose. More strikes followed, and Frisk dodged. Asriel crossed his arms and looked mildly amused. "You're not half bad. Pretty light on your feet . . ." Frisk looked up as Asriel lunged with a pair of swords. He just barely dodged, ducking, leaping, tumbling and dodging, but he still managed to gain a few more cuts, though very shallow ones. Asriel swung a sword down at Frisk, who stood his ground, knocked his hand and the sword aside, and tapped him on the nose.

"Beep!" Frisk taunted. Asriel's ears raised in both surprise, and irritation.

"Why you little-!" he lunged again, and Frisk avoided every stroke. Asriel growled, but looked a bit amused as well. He leaped back, and a strange device appeared on his shoulder. The way he was holding it . . . Oh boy. Frisk hoofed it as the gun began to fire like a machine gun. Frisk leaped and wove and jumped, and just barely managed to dive out of the way of the huge blast that ended that little attack. Asriel flew at him and tried to backhand him, but Frisk avoided it, just managing to tumble out of the way of a sword that almost took his head off his neck. "Pretty persistent, aren't you?"

"Come get some!" Frisk taunted. Asriel seemed amused.

"If you insist," he said as he vanished, only to appear right next to Frisk, swiping at him with clawed hands. Frisk felt those razor-sharp claws just graze his skin, and shred his shirt as he leaped back, and then dove to avoid a follow-up. Frisk just narrowly avoided the attacks. "If I can't have a happy ending, then you can't either!" Frisk backflipped away as Asriel pressed his attack. Asriel grinned as he brought up the gun again, and Frisk started to run, weaving around to try and throw his aim off. "Gonna have to do better than that!" Asriel taunted in a sing-song voice as he fired into Frisk's path, but was surprised when Frisk jumped straight up, and somehow, managed to adjust his leap over the bullets in mind-jump.

Asriel lunged at Frisk with his twin swords again, but this time, he caught Frisk as he was coming down from a jump. Frisk's mind raced, as Asriel was only the length of a man's arm away. Frisk saw one of the swords to his right, and the other to his left. Frisk threw himself backwards, but was just slow enough that Asriel's thrust caught him in the chest. However, to Asriel's shock, the saber violently exploded in a shower of fragments and flames. "Argh!" The God of Hyperdeath held his throbbing hand, and looked at Frisk, who was struggling to get up. Through the hole in Frisk's shirt, Asriel could see the medallion, the gems glowing, the metal shimmering. "Ah, so that's it! That's how you do it! That little trinket of yours." Frisk touched the medallion, and said something in a language Asriel had never heard.

"What makes you so sure it's the Amulet?" Asriel sneered at him.

"Wow, you really _are_ something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my true power. Let's see . . . how you handle _this!_ " Asriel flew up high and disappeared as his voice echoed. "Time to stop fooling around, kid!" Frisk looked around, waiting for another attack. Suddenly, there was a roar like a howling wind. Frisk turned, and could only stare at the huge form.

It was bigger than the largest plane, towering over and dwarfing him. There were no legs, only a lower body resembling a glass jar in the vague shape of a heart, electrical energy crackling inside. The huge arms were not fully connected, instead floating a short distance away. Huge wings made of wispy clouds of energy slowly changed from blue, to red, to green, and back. Asriel glared at him, his horns even bigger, more teeth, larger fangs, everything had become barbed and sharpened. The beast laughed deeply. "Well, little one, do you like it? I'm the angel, who will see you to your death!" Frisk suddenly recalled the prophecy, what the monsters believed about the Angel of Death. No! He wasn't going to let his friends be hurt! Asriel grinned ferally, raised his hands, and steaming balls of energy seared forth.

Frisk barely dodged them. "Once I beat you . . . then I'll show the humans what true fear is! I'll pay them all back for what they did!" Asriel swept Frisk up in a tornado of energy, magic blades inflicting cuts as he spun in the vortex. Frisk curled into a ball and tightened his muscles to lessen the damage as best he could. The tornado abruptly vanished, and Frisk dropped to the ground with a flop. He groaned as he forced himself to get back to his feet. "Still? You still fight against me? You still try and get up? Oh, this is too rich. Come on, then! I'll show you what good your Determination is!" Frisk growled and forced his aching body into a leap, sending him up and over the volley of energy balls. Frisk was panting as he landed, blood flowing from several wounds, his shirt in shreds. He staggered and gagged, coughing up a glob of clotted blood. He looked up at Asriel, who sneered at him.

Frisk thought on his foe. Asriel had absorbed the six human souls, and all of the souls of the monsters. He could feel his power, pulsing, beating. Even a normal person could feel it. Frisk swayed, dizzy from blood loss, exhaustion and blows. What could he do? This was a very powerful enemy, and fighting him was almost certainly suicide. Even a seasoned Wizard or Warrior would have a hard time standing against such a foe. Frisk held his medallion with his right hand, and clenched his left fist. Only a few, tiny sparks appeared. He groaned. There had to be a way! He thought, quickly and hard.

Wait . . . every soul . . . Frisk looked up at Asriel. There was a chance. A small one, but even they could work. Frisk stood up defiantly, medallion held tight as he walked forward, and raised his right hand. Frisk began to chant in a language that had not been spoken since the days of King Arthur. Frisk's hand began to glitter and shimmer. Asriel raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What, what is this?" Frisk gazed through Asriel.

" _Soul who is lost, I call unto thee! Come forth now, and remember me!"_

Asriel was shocked when he felt something resonating inside him. Frisk closed his eyes, and focused, calling on that power within. He opened not the eyes of his body, but those of his mind's eye. He saw a hazy figure with red hair, but they looked like a form caught by a camera that was out of focus. He smiled at Undyne, like she used to do.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Somebody lost, like you are, I assume."

" . . . You're a human, and humans are enemies."

"How many do you know? Have you ever tried their cooking?" He smiled when she blurred a little less, slowly coming into focus.

"Humans are our enemy. You must die," she replied. Frisk only smiled.

"I won't, but you may die laughing. Ticklish much?" Suddenly, she snapped into total focus, grinning at him.

"Won't catch me like that again, shorty!" Frisk could only smile and give her a thumbs up, which she returned. Frisk closed his eyes and focused again. He felt another soul, one that was familiar. It felt lonely, fretful, worried. He knew it well. Even though unfocused, he recognized Alphys by her colors.

"Hey, I need help for a quiz about anime. Think you could help me?" The whole form shook.

"Why would you want my help? You hate me, don't you?" He shook his head.

"Not at all. By the way, did you know they're making a movie of _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_?"

"Oh my god! They are?! I-I've got to reserve tickets!" Alphys came into focus and Frisk smiled at her.

"Why don't we all go and watch it? That's what friends do, right?" Alphys smiled brilliantly at him. Frisk took her hand and smiled before once more focusing. He felt two souls this time, and they both were very familiar.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my two favorite boneheads!" Even while blurred, it was easy to tell Sans and Papyrus.

"Why do you keep trying?" Sans asked.

"It is futile, human," said Papyrus. Frisk only smiled.

"Oh, come on you two. You looked _bone_ draggled!" They both seemed to shake at the joke, and came into focus a bit. "Say, what do you call an animal who stars in a Western? Clint _Beastwood!_ " Sans was almost vibrating, but Papyrus still needed something more. "Hmm, sure could go for some spaghetti and meatballs right about now . . ." Frisk mused.

"Never fear! For the Great Papyrus is the best chef around!" Frisk smiled as his friends came back into focus.

"Hey, not bad, kid. Your jokes are almost as bad as mine!" Frisk grinned at Sans.

"I'll take that as a complement, you little bone-bag," he laughed and focused again.

This time, he felt two very strong souls, and knew, without any doubt, who they were. He smiled softly at the two forms that stared at him, so unfocused, they almost looked shattered.

"Hello," Frisk greeted with a gentle wave of his hand. The two forms were silent, but looked like they wanted to speak. He looked at who he knew to be Toriel, and he felt a bit of sadness. "Toriel, I know you're there. I know you know this, but I wanted to say it, have wanted to for so long. I love you. You saved me, and not just my body. You saved my heart and mind. You saved me from myself, from a dark, cold place I had trapped myself in for so long. You brought warmth, and love, and trust back to my heart." Toriel's soul looked like it was shaking. He looked at Asgore. "Asgore, I know you don't want to fight, don't want to hurt anybody. I know what that's like. I also know what it's like to hurt inside when you _do_ have to fight. I don't hate you, or blame you. Not at all. If anything, I understand. God, I understand." The King's soul quaked and shivered.

Frisk's hand moved over the cloth bag, and he recalled Toriel's gift to him. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He reached in, and pulled out the slice of pie. He sniffed, and it smelled warm and delicious. He took a bite, and the wonderful tastes of cinnamon and butterscotch flooded his mouth in a wonderful harmony. "Mmm. Moms are always the best cooks. That's a universal constant," he said with a wink, as they came into focus.

"Frisk, I love you, too, my child. I'm always with you." Asgore smiled at them.

"Yes, you have great courage, and a good heart. I know you can win." Frisk smiled, and hugged them both. He closed, then opened his eyes, and was staring at Asriel again.

Asriel looked mostly the same, but there was something different, as if he had diminished a tiny bit. It was small, but it was there. There was still no way Frisk could fight him head-on. Even if he had freed his friends, Asriel still had all the power of the other monster souls, plus the six human ones. He could feel a sensation, a pull in his heart. He felt something resonating. He looked more carefully at Asriel. The sensation was getting stronger and stronger. Frisk realized that it was Asriel himself who was resonating. He recalled that, underneath the monstrous form before him, was a sad, scared little boy. Frisk closed his eyes, and as he focused, he recalled.

" _I wish . . . I wish . . . For a friend." "It sounds like it came from over here. Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you? Are you okay? Here, I'll help. . . . Chara, huh? That's a nice name. My name is . . ."_

"Asriel," said Frisk, and the memories began to flow like water.

He saw when Asriel found Chara, fallen and hurt, her leg twisted, head hurting. He saw sweet, kind Toriel pick them both up and carry them. He saw how happy they were, felt their laughter and their joy. He was not the only one who felt it.

"What . . . what is this . . . feeling? What's happening?" Frisk smiled at Asriel.

"You're remembering who you are."

"Wh, what did you do?"

"Only awakened what sleeps within. Do you remember, Asriel? Do you remember who you are?" Asriel growled and raised his hands.

"No! I don't need anyone!" Asriel fired several energy blasts at Frisk, one of which hit Frisk right in the side, tearing a hole in what remained of his shirt, and his side, the gaping wound bleeding profusely . . . before sealing back up right before his eyes. Frisk acted as if nothing had happened, walking forward, hand gently raised.

"Asriel, please come back," said Frisk in a soft, gentle, tender voice. Asriel shook.

"Stop it! Get away from me! Do you hear me?! I'll tear you apart!" He launched another volley, more impacting, tearing away flesh, making bleeding wounds that began to close as Frisk refused to back down, refused to fall, refused to stop.

"Asriel, come back to us," Frisk pleaded.

"Stop it! Stay away from me!" He launched more energy balls, but they all missed, and they were few, and slow. Frisk smiled at him, feeling warmth in his heart, in his very soul, his Determination growing with every second.

"Ariel, please. Please come back. Ariel Dreemurr." Asriel clutched his head.

"Argh! Stop it! Stop it!"

"Asriel Dreemurr, please come back to us. We still love you. Your mom and dad still love you."

"Shut up! Stop talking!"

"They miss you. They're very sad without you. Please come back." Frisk saw tears in Asriel's eyes.

"Ugh! Chara . . . do you know why I'm doing this? Why I keep fighting to keep you around?" Frisk continued to walk towards him as small fireballs fell like rain, but none of them even tried to touch him. They were the tears of the God of Hyperdeath. Asriel was visibly shaking. "I'm doing this . . . because you're special, Chara. You're the only one who understands me." Frisk could hear all the loneliness, all the pain, all the hurt. They were so familiar, because he knew them all too well. Asriel wrapped his great arms around himself. "You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore." Asriel was openly weeping now. Frisk had tears in his eyes as well, but his steps, and Determination never faltered. He listened to those pained words, let the poor, tortured soul bear his heart. Any thoughts Frisk had of anger, of fighting, they had long since gone to dust, replaced by nothing but empathy and compassion.

Asriel shook his head. "No. That's not _just_ it. I . . . I'm doing this, because I care about you, Chara. I care about you more than anyone else!" Frisk was close now, he could almost touch him. Asriel's words hit harder than tempered steel. Frisk could feel his pain, his sorrow, his anguish. "I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again." Frisk could hear the fear, the hurt, the torment in his voice as tears flowed freely from both of them.

"You don't have to. I won't leave you. I _**refuse**_ to! Asriel!" Asriel shook his head.

"Please! Stop doing this and just let me win!" Frisk was shocked when Asriel brought both arms down and blasted him with a great, multi-colored beam. Frisk was blown back several feet, but pushed against it, the gems in the medallion glowing like stars, the beam curving around him. Frisk gritted his teeth and pushed as hard as he could, each step as heavy and hard as if walking in ten times gravity, but he never wavered, each step slow, but sure. "Stop it! _Stop it now!_ " Asriel roared, pouring everything into the beam. Frisk stood his ground, pushing back. Asriel trembled as he let the beam fade. Frisk panted as he staggered forward, shredded clothes smoking, blood running from his hair, but he never stopped, he walked firmly and confidently.

"Asriel, come back to us! Asriel Dreemurr!" Frisk called out. Asriel trembled.

" . . . Chara . . ." Frisk continued forward, quickly breaking into a run.

"Asriel Dreemurr, we still love you! Please come back to us!"

"I'm so alone, Chara. I'm so scared."

"Ariel, come back to us! You don't have to be alone! Or scared! Or in pain anymore!" Asriel was trembling.

"Chara, I . . ." Frisk leaped at him, wrapping his arms and legs tightly around him. The whole world seemed to swirl as if he was dizzy.

Frisk felt soft fur, a warm body, and he heard weeping.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" little Asriel wept. Frisk hugged him tighter.

"It's okay. It's okay. Shh. Shh. It's all right. Shh." Asriel sobbed into his shoulder as Frisk gently rocked him back and forth. He was himself again. Frisk just held him and let him cry, gently soothing him.

"I . . . I always was a crybaby," he sobbed. Frisk stroked his back.

"It's all right to cry." Asriel sniffed and buried his head against Frisk's shoulder.

"Oh, Chara. I'm so sorry." Frisk smiled sadly. Asriel pulled back a bit and sniffled. "I know. I know you're not actually Chara. She's been gone . . . for a long time." Frisk smiled sadly at him.

"I'm sorry you lost your friend." Asriel sniffed.

"Um . . . what's _your_ name?" Frisk smiled.

"You can call me Frisk." Asriel smiled a bit.

"Huh. That's a nice name." Frisk smiled a bit more at this. Nobody had complemented him on his name in a very long time. Most thought his name was strange. "I haven't felt like this for a long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. But, with everyone's souls inside me, I have my compassion back. And I can feel all the other monsters' as well. They all care about each other so deeply. And you, too." Frisk smiled weakly at this. "I wish I could tell you how much everyone cares about you. Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys . . . Toriel." Frisk could see the pain in his eyes and feel it in his voice. Asriel gave a soft laugh. "Monsters are weird." Frisk smiled.

"I think humans are weirder still." They both chuckled a tiny bit.

"They all really love you, even though some barely know you." Frisk smiled.

"Because monsters have more capacity to love than humans do. Sadly, that's part of why they ended up down here. Because humans wanted to hate." Asriel tensed at this.

"Frisk . . . I did so many . . . horrible things. I hurt so many people, and there's no excuse for it. I . . . I understand if you can't forgive me. Or hate me." Frisk pulled him into another hug.

"It's not your fault. Sometimes, we can't control how things happen. Sometimes, we do hurtful things, make mistakes. That's a part of life. As long as we learn from them." Asriel teared up and hugged him back.

"Frisk . . . you're gonna make me cry again . . ."

"And I'll hold you if you do." Asriel sobbed softly.

"I . . . don't want . . . to let go."

"Then don't." They just held each other, silent.

"Frisk . . . even if you forgive me, I can't keep these souls inside me. I have to return them. But first, there's something important I have to do." Asriel pulled back, and Frisk saw the Determination in his eyes. "Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts, and they all are calling out for the same thing. It's time for monsters . . . to finally go free!" Asriel stepped back, raised his hands, and began to rise off the ground. He closed his eyes and the glow of the six human souls appeared, as did numerous others. The souls of all the monsters, and those of the six human souls, their power was combining. Frisk saw the Barrier behind Asriel, saw it begin to shimmer and ripple, faster and faster. Asriel looked in concentration as the colors swirled, faster, until they all blurred together. There was a cracking sound, and a huge crack went down the Barrier, as if it were glass. More cracks appeared, crawling all over it. With the sound of plate glass hit by a sledgehammer, the Barrier shattered and vanished, a soft, golden light filtering in, raw and warm. It was the sun. Asriel landed, and Frisk caught him when he almost fell.

"Are you all right?" Asriel swallowed.

"Frisk . . . I . . . have to go now." Frisk gasped. "Without the power of the souls, I can't keep maintaining this form. Soon, I'll turn back into a flower." Frisk hugged him. No. No, he wasn't going to let that happen! Not after everything! He wasn't going to let another life slip through his fingers! Not again! Frisk fought tears as he looked up. He stared at something. Asriel looked up with him at what stood a few feet away.

" _The Mirror of Elde . . ."_

It was tall, oval in shape, about as tall as a man. The mirror looked like it was made of fine, highly-polished silver, the legs on either side were polished bronze. The surface of the mirror itself was covered in a swirling, spiraling design that depicted nothing, and suggested everything. Frisk's eyes grew wide. Here it finally was, at long last. His long quest was finally at an end. Frisk gently eased Asriel to the floor and moved towards the mirror. Asriel grabbed his hand.

" _No!_ Don't touch it!" Frisk looked at Asriel, who had fresh tears in his eyes. "You don't know what awful things it does! It's the reason Chara's gone!" Frisk looked at Asriel, then back to the mirror. Frisk hugged Asriel, gently patting his back.

"She didn't know what she was doing. I do." With that, Frisk strode to the mirror.

Frisk walked up, and saw his reflection, saw it reflect the truth of truths, which none but him knew. He stood firm, and took a deep breath.

" _Ancient glass of elemental sorcery, awaken now and hear my plea!"_ Frisk called. There was a deep rumble, the ground shaking ever so slightly, power radiating out from the mirror as the surface of the glass shimmered. A sound was heard, like many voices, muttering in languages long-since dead to the ears of Men. Asriel stared, in both horror, and awe.

" . . .Thou hast the right. What is thy desire?" the Mirror of Elde spoke, not in a single voice, but many. Male and female, human and otherwise. It was not an Entity that was bound by such concepts. Frisk looked at the mirror, at his reflection.

"I wish . . . that Asriel have his life and soul back." Asriel gasped, eyes wide.

" . . .That wish . . . cannot be granted." Frisk growled.

"Mirror of Elde, explain thyself!" he roared.

"To obtain . . . something of equal value must be lost. To restore a life, a life must be forfeit," the Mirror replied. Frisk set his jaw, stared at the mirror, saw little Asriel in the mirror. His Determination had never been stronger.

" _Then take my life!"_

"Frisk, no!" Before Asriel could move, there was a huge rumbling boom, the ground shaking and shattering. The Mirror of Elde glowed brighter than the sun.

"Thy wish . . . is granted."

"Frisk!" Everything went white.

* * *

Toriel moaned softly. She felt warm dirt under her fingers. She felt a gentle warmth caress her all around. She inhaled, and her nose was assailed by scents she had never smelled before. She heard a soft breeze, and some birds singing.

"Oh, what happened?" asked Sans, sounding dazed.

"I don't . . . remember," said Papyrus. She opened her eyes, and saw golden light everywhere. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and got to her feet. She looked, and stared in awe.

"Oh my . . ." They all looked. They were on the surface.

The sun was setting, casting the world in hues of red, gold, purples, mauve and orange. They were on a cliff, looking out at a vast forest. Mt. Ebott was in the distance, as was a human city.

"Wow . . ." said Papyrus.

"Oh, it's glorious . . ." murmured Asgore.

"Whoa . . . It's beautiful. But, how'd we get here?" Undyne asked.

"I don't know," said Alphys.

"Yes, the last thing I remember . . . was something about a flower . . . and . . .?" said Toriel, sounding as confused as the others. There was another moan. They all looked up a something moved.

" _Mommy?"_ Toriel froze, and so did Asgore.

Asriel looked up from where he was curled on the ground. Toriel was shaking as her eyes welled with tears.

"Oh my . . . It's not possible . . . Asriel?" He looked up.

"Mom?"

" _Asriel!"_ She ran forward and scooped him up, Asgore right behind her.

"Mommy!" She sobbed as she cuddled him.

"Oh, my child, I missed you so much!" Asgore was shaking as he wrapped his arms around Toriel.

"Asriel, my son . . ." He had tears in his eyes, they all did. The others stared in shocked awe, and confusion.

"Oh my god! He's alive! The Prince is alive!" Alphys yelled, eyes wet with tears. Papyrus had miniature waterfalls from his eye sockets as he hugged Sans, who grinned. Undyne grinned.

"Well, ain't this swell? Hey, wait a minute . . ." Undyne looked around, alarm growing. "Where's Frisk?!" They all gasped.

"Oh no! Frisk! The Mirror!" Asriel cried.

"What?!" Asgore and Toriel yelled.

"Frisk! My child! Answer me! Frisk, where are you?!" They all were frantic as they ran around looking for their missing friend. Asriel spotted something by the edge of the cliff, something curled up.

"Frisk! Oh no!" He ran towards the fallen form, the others following. They stopped when it began to move. It unfurled, revealing it was a large cloth, like a . . . cloak. The form slowly stood up, almost as tall as Toriel. The silhouette stretched and stood up straight. The form turned, and regarded them with deep blue eyes. The form was not that of a child. It was a man.

 **Author's note:** I apologize for the long wait, but life was a real mess for me, and it's hard to write when you are constantly worried and stressed. I also wanted to take the time to make sure this was as good as I could make it.

And, as a nod to the game, there will be a special surprise: Multiple endings! Stay tuned!


	14. Ending One: Starlight, Starmight!

**Ending One: Starlight, Starmight!**

"Who . . . who are you?" Asgore asked. The man smiled. It was a gentle, soft smile, no malice, nor teasing. He was dressed in a dark blue tunic and pants, with cuffed leather boots that reached his knees. His forearms were covered by silvery bracers with fine repousse of swirling designs upon their surface. His most striking piece of clothing was his cloak, which looked like it had been cut from the night sky, the stars, comets, galaxies and nebulas all moving as if viewing them through a telescope.

"You already know me, Your Majesty." Asgore blinked. Asriel clung to his mother, watching the man.

"Wait. Those eyes . . . Frisk?" Asriel asked. They looked at the Prince, then back to the man, who gave the same soft smile and a gentle nod of his head.

" _What?!"_ they chorused, shocked beyond belief. Even Sans looked stunned.

"Whoa, kid! That's a hell of a secret," said Sans, both shocked but amused. Papyrus' jaw was literally laying on the ground.

"This is astounding! I had no idea humans grew up so quickly!" Papyrus crowed.

"Papyrus, they don't!" cried Undyne, who glared at him.

"How do we know you're really Frisk?" The man smiled at this. He looked at her, and made a motion with his fingers.

"One Thousand Years of Laughs," he replied. Undyne narrowed her eye.

"Yeah, it's him . . ." Undyne muttered. Alphys was holding her head.

"I don't believe this! I've never heard of anything like this! How, how in the world?" asked the Royal Scientist. Frisk sadly smiled.

"I was cursed." They all stared at him. He looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath of fresh air, like a man who was tasting freedom for the first time in ages. "A very long time ago, I was cursed by a wizard. So, so long ago." They stared at Frisk in awe. He looked at them, and his smile, his whole form seemed to glow with happiness. "But now, the curse is broken. I am finally me again." He looked at them, and smiled more. "But, far better, is you all are finally free. I meant what I said. What happened, what was done was a crime, an evil to those who did no wrong." They had no doubts that it was, indeed, Frisk, their friend. His words carried the same heart, the same energy, meaning and truth. Frisk looked at Asriel and smiled warmly. "Remember what I said, Asriel. I meant every word of it." Asriel hugged Toriel tighter, but not out of fear. Toriel and Asgore stared at Frisk.

"You mean you . . .?" Toriel couldn't finish, tears welling in her eyes. Frisk nodded, his smile never wavering, seeming to glow, not just with the setting sun, but happiness. Toriel picked Asriel up and hugged him, Asgore wrapping his arms around his wife and child. The great King had tears in his eyes.

"Frisk . . . we cannot thank you enough." Frisk just tilted his head.

"There is too much cruelty in the world, too much death, sorrow. If I could save even one life, then . . . even such a cursed life as mine, shall not have been in vain." There was a tone of regret there, but it was dwarfed by his happiness, his joy. Emotions he had not felt in so long. Asriel looked at Frisk.

"But . . . your wish?" the small Prince asked. Frisk smiled at him.

"You cannot kill an immortal, my boy. When I made the wish, the mirror was overwhelmed, and could not handle it. At the same time, it canceled it out, and granted it at the same time. In so doing, it broke the curse." Frisk turned and faced the setting sun, throwing open his arms. "Behold! The world is open to you, now. Freedom lays upon you. What you do with it, now, is up to you." They all came forward and stared in awe at the setting sun.

"Wow . . ." said Undyne as they watched the sun, the clouds, the trees and mountains and city, as new beings to it all.

"Golly, it's so amazing!" said Papyrus. "What's that glowing circle?"

"That's the sun, bro," said Sans, grinning.

"Wow. So, that's the sun!"

"Oh, it's beautiful!" said Alphys. Toriel looked up, and noticed something.

"Gorey, look! Is that-?" They looked up, and, sure enough, a star was beginning to shine in the sky. Frisk smiled as he watched them.

"It is indeed. It's the stars, and now they shine for you all," said Frisk. Toriel smiled with joy.

"Oh, Frisk, my child, you've done so much for us." She turned back, and gasped. Frisk was gone. "Frisk?" she called. The others turned and looked.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Undyne asked. They all glanced around, looking for him once again.

XXX

A few miles away, Frisk stood on top of Mt. Ebott, now recalling his purpose. He smiled and inhaled as the last light of the setting sun cast him in a fiery light, as a figure of molten bronze against the coming night sky, his cloak fluttering, stars shining. He looked up at the sky, smiling. He flexed his hands, light glowing around his hands in every color, the Amulet shimmering and glowing. He reached towards the heavens, feeling his old power back in full. He felt the joy once more, felt it swirl through every fiber of his being. He felt the Universe touch him once more, felt that fabric of the Cosmos brush against him. Oh, no mortal words, in any language, could describe that joy! He glanced at the far away mountain where the monsters were.

It deeply saddened him to leave them, but they would be better off. Their destiny was now their own, the tale theirs to write. That said, though, they all were deeply engraved in his heart, and he could never forget them. He could never forget those who had saved him, from becoming what he hated. They owed him no debt at all. Just as he had saved them, so had they saved him. He smiled, a bit sadly.

"Thank you, dear friends. I shall never forget you. Until the ending of Creation itself, you all will be in my heart." He looked up at the sky, and smiled. He reached up, felt the Eldar Power within him, felt that joy, felt the rapture, and felt his heart soar as he let it sing through him.

XXX

"Frisk!" Toriel called. They all were looking around for their missing friend. Sans happened to look up, and stared in shock.

"Whoa . . . hey, guys?" he called. They looked up as he pointed at the sky. They looked up, and stared in shocked awe and wonder.

The stars were moving. They watched with wide eyes as they began to form shapes. Familiar shapes.

"Tori, that's you!" Asgore cried as the image of Toriel formed from the stars. She could only stare in awe and wonder. The stars shifted, and next showed Sans, then Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore, and, lastly, Asriel. They all were silent as they watched. The stars changed one last time, this time showing them all together, but they all had tears in their eyes as the read the beautiful message, written in stars just below:

 _ **Thank You!**_

 **Author's note:** In honoring the game, I decided to have multiple endings, and thus was able to save extra ideas that might otherwise have never been seen.

This ending aligns with the games Neutral Ending.

As always, please leave a review, and enjoy!


	15. Ending Two: Who Wants to Live Forever

**Ending Two: Who Wants to Live Forever**

Toriel blinked as she stared at the human man standing before them. He was only a tiny bit shorter than her, his skin was lightly tanned, his brown hair was short, but long enough it hung down in his eyes. He wore a tunic of deep blue, tucked into cuffed, knee-high leather boots. Around his forearms were bracers of a shiny, silvery metal, raised designs of spirals decorated the surface in relief. Most striking of all was his cloak, which could very well have been crafted from the night sky itself. Stars twinkled, comets moved, galaxies swirled. Even if standing still, the cloak was alive with movement. She held Asriel tight against her.

"My child . . . .?" Those deep blue eyes twinkled and shone like beautiful gems, and she saw the same depth in them and knew who she was facing. "Frisk." The others gasped as they stared, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"You're kidding me! Him?! That's the kid?! How?! How could he-?" Undyne ranted. Alphys looked stunned.

"Wow. He's . . . cute for a human," Alphys murmured. Sans whistled.

"Wow, kid. Heck of a growth spurt," mused the skeleton. Frisk smiled gently. He took a single step, and shocked them when he swayed and fell to his knees. They all ran forward to catch him.

"My child?"

"Human?"

"You okay?" Toriel gently gripped his arm. He laid his hand upon hers. When she saw his hand, she gasped. The hand was wrinkled, almost skeletal.

"What the heck?!" Undyne yelled. Frisk swayed as Toriel grabbed him. As they watched, his hair grew longer, and began to turn white. Asriel's eyes were welling with tears.

"No. No! No!" the Prince cried.

"Centuries of life . . . and now, I have no time . . ." Frisk said in a hoarse, strangled voice, as if fighting for breath. Asgore put his arm around his son as Toriel turned Frisk so she could see his face.

His face had become sunken, the cheekbones sharp, skin like paper, liver spots and wrinkles on almost all of his skin.

"Frisk! My child, what's happening?!" He looked up at her, his eyes thin slits of blue.

"Time . . . is catching up, at last." They all stared at him. He gave a weak chuckle. "I haven't . . . the time to tell you it all. Ages ago . . . I was cursed. I fought against . . . an evil wizard. He cursed me . . . with immortal life." They gasped at this. Tears began to run from Frisk's eyes as he recalled, and tried to tell them the tale, with as little time as he had. "I was trapped in a . . . child's body. I could not but watch, as everything, everyone . . . left me alone." He softly wept. "Centuries . . . millennia . . . my cursed existence has been . . . an unending nightmare. Never, have I ever craved anything more . . . than death." They all started at this.

"Don't say that, Frisk! We'll help you! We'll . . . we'll think of something! We'll think of a spell!" said Asgore. Sans stared at the fragile form of the fallen human.

"Kid, you . . . can't," Sans' mask was gone, the anguish plain on his face. Papyrus was openly sobbing. Even Undyne was in tears.

"Frisk, don't. Don't do this to us. I . . . I'm sorry. You . . . you're a good human. You . . . always were. Dammit, don't die on us!" Frisk's blue eyes settled on her, but they were now cloudy with cataracts, barely seeing anything.

"Death . . . isn't so awful. Who . . . wants to live forever, anyway?" Asriel sobbed as he ran from his father and grabbed Frisk's arm.

"No! No, you can't die! Please! Please! You promised you wouldn't leave! You _promised!_ " Frisk could no longer keep his eyes open. His hair had thinned to the point he almost had none, his form almost skeletal. Even so, he still smiled, the same soft, gentle smile.

"Don't be . . . sad. I'll always . . . be . . . with . . . you." Asriel sobbed. Toriel quietly sobbed as she tenderly hugged Frisk to her.

"Go to sleep, my child. I love you, my Frisk." She kissed him tenderly on his forehead as he gave a last, soft breath. Alphys covered her eyes as she buried her head in Undyne's ribs. Asgore hugged his wife and son, and mourned with them at the loss of this special soul.

XXX

Many years after, the place where monsters were freed had become called "Soul's Peak". It became a special shrine, and all monsters visited it at least once in their lives. Carved pillars, with Frisk's story, surround a single grave. Covered by golden flowers, is a single, simple gravestone. Engraved upon it is thus:

 _Here lies Frisk._

 _Human, son, beloved child, savior._

 _We will always remember you._

 **Author's note:** Here we have the second ending. This ending aligns with the Genocide Ending.

Read, review, and stay Determined.


	16. Ending Three: The Lord of Urisk

**Ending Three: The Lord of Urisk**

They all stared in confusion at the person standing before them. He was dressed in blue clothes, his boots reached just to his knees and were cuffed. His cloak fluttered in the light breeze, stars, galaxies and comets sparkled and moved within, as if it was cut from the night sky itself. Bracers that looked like silver covered his forearms, swirling forms in repousse decorated the surface. His tunic and trousers were different shades of blue. His hair was brown, his skin lightly tanned. He smiled softly at them.

Undyne stepped forward, spear raised.

"Who are you, buddy?! What have you done with our friend?" His smile grew a tiny bit. Asriel stared at him from where Toriel had her hand on his shoulder.

"F-Frisk?" They stared as he nodded. They all were thunderstuck.

"What?!" Undyne roared. Papyrus' jaw dropped on the ground. Toriel and Asgore looked floored.

"H-h-how? How is this possible?" Toriel asked. Frisk smiled sadly.

"My real name is Frazetta of Urisk. "Frisk" for short." They stared, but Alphys was the first to move.

"Oh my god? Oh my god!" They all looked at her. "You're . . . _Lord Frazetta of Urisk?_ The great wizard?! That's you?!" They all stared and looked back to Frisk, who slowly nodded.

"Wait, Alphys, what's going on? Who is this guy?" Undyne asked.

"The Lord of Urisk was one of the most powerful wizards who ever lived! Legends said he was second only to Merlin!" Frisk chuckled.

"Legends have a tendency to exaggerate, I'm afraid. But she is correct."

"But how?" Alphys asked. "You lived centuries ago! How could you possibly-? It shouldn't be possible." Frisk took a deep breath, closed his eyes.

"I have been alive. All this time. Centuries I have wandered the Earth." They watched as he stood, eyes closed, but looking . . . pained. "As to the how . . . I was cursed." He looked away and opened his eyes, looking at a solitary golden flower. "My magic was sealed, my form locked as a small child, and cursed with that most awful, heinous and evil of curses: Immortality." They all stared at him. "I have wandered the world as the centuries passed like howling, angry winds. Forced to watch as everything I cherished and loved . . . withered and died." He looked at them solemnly, and they saw the same eyes they knew belonged to their friend. Now they saw, not just the true body, but the true pain, the true anguish that lay behind those deep blue eyes. "The reason I came to Mt. Ebott, to the Underworld, was I desired the one thing that had eluded me for millennia; death." There were several gasps. He shook his head ruefully, a slight chuckle coming from him.

"Wait, so . . . if you were a child, and had no magic . . ." Papyrus began. He perked up. "Then, the curse must now be broken!" Frisk smiled warmly and nodded.

"Yes, and I owe it to my dear friend here," he said, motioning to Asriel.

"B-but . . . I didn't . . ." Frisk smiled at him.

"But you did. You see, when I wished to give my life to restore yours, since I was already immortal, it canceled it out, and broke the curse." Asgore and Toriel gasped at this. Frisk smiled at them. "Now . . . Now I've righted a serious wrong." Frisk looked out at the city. "The world is open to you now. You at long last have freedom." He looked back at them. "You have your freedom, and you have your child back. They are my gifts to you, to make as best amends for the wrongs done you as I am able." Toriel had tears in her eyes.

"My child . . ." Frisk looked stricken.

"No. I'm not your child, no matter how much I might wish otherwise . . ." He sighed and looked up at the sky, a few stars beginning to show. "My mother, my sisters . . . They have all been dead for centuries. I have long-since made peace with that. My only wish was to join them in peace. A human life is meant to be fleeting." He looked at them. "I hope you can forgive me for not telling you. But it was for the best." He smiled sadly, and turned to leave.

"No!" Asriel ran up to him, grabbing his cloak. "No, please don't go away! Please!" Frisk turned back to the boy, startled. Asriel sniffled, wiping his eyes. "You promised you wouldn't leave! That you wouldn't go away!"

"Asriel . . ." The boy wrapped his small arms around his leg.

"Please . . . please don't go. I don't want to lose another friend. Please . . ." Frisk knelt and hugged the boy, who clutched him fiercely. The others came closer.

"Frisk . . . you are still my child. No matter what, no matter your past, or how big you are, you're still my child," said Toriel. Asgore smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Tori's right. Whether a child, or a man, you are still you, Frisk. That will never change." Sans came forward, hands in his pockets.

"I was enjoying not being the shortest, but she's right. What you look like on the outside doesn't matter. Or if you're older than dirt." Frisk chuckled, as did Asriel, who refused to let go of him.

"Yes, indeed, human! The Great Papyrus always knew there was something different about you! I wasn't fooled for a minute!" This drew a few chuckles.

"They're right, you know? That you're a wizard totally rocks! Now I know how you were able to beat me!" Undyne put her arm around Frisk's neck and playfully ground her fist into his hair.

"Hey, watch it, fishstick!" he laughed. Alphys smiled as she stood in front of him.

"They're all right. Your body may have changed, but who you are inside didn't. You're still the same, kind, patient, encouraging friend we all love." Frisk smiled at her. Frisk stood up, Asriel still in his arms. The two were not going to part any time soon. Toriel gently hugged them.

"You are both my wonderful children. You're both my sons, and I love you both." Asgore gently put his arm around Frisk as well.

"Yes. You've done so much for us. All of us, and all of the Underground. You're a part of our family now, Frisk." Frisk smiled as Asriel hugged him tighter. Undyne looked at this, grinned and looked at the rest.

" _Group hug!"_ It was more of a dogpile, Frisk and Asriel laughing as they were knocked down, the laughter echoing into the valley as the sunlight began to fade.

Asgore was the first to their feet, helping Frisk and Toriel up.

"Everyone, we must now think on what comes next." They all looked at him as he looked out at the city, where lights were beginning to come on. "This is the beginning of a new era. One of peace between monsters and humans. But, for that, we will need an ambassador . . ." He looked at Frisk, who still held Asriel in his arms. "Frisk? Would you do us the honor of being our ambassador to humankind?" They all looked at him. He smiled and nodded.

"I'd be happy to." Undyne pumped her fist, Papyrus and Alphys cheered, and Sans grinned.

"Yes! Frisk will be the best ambassador! And I will be the best mascot!" cheered Papyrus. "I'm going to go make a great first impression!" said Papyrus as he began to run off.

"Hold it there, Trigger . . ." said Frisk as Papyrus levitated off the ground. They all stared as Frisk used one hand to hold Asriel, and the other to work his magic on Papyrus. "It's coming on nightfall, and monsters running around in the dark is the stuff of most human nightmares. Better we wait until we have a good plan written up, and it's bright out. We only have one shot at making a good first impression, and it's got to be a team effort." Papyrus slackened. Undyne grinned.

"Wish I could do that! Then I'd never miss a moving target!"

"Exactly why I'll never teach it to you," Frisk deadpanned.

"Hey!" Toriel giggled.

"Frisk is right. We should plan ahead before something to important. But, tonight, perhaps we can spend time under the stars?" Frisk smiled widely at this.

"Wonderful idea. The Perseid Meteor Shower should be tonight."

"What's a meteor?" Asriel asked. Frisk smiled at him.

"Some people call them shooting stars. They're very pretty." Asriel looked excited. They all did. Frisk smiled and snapped his fingers, a little flame hovering over his index finger. "How about a campout under the stars and dinner?"

XXX

"Wow! Look at that one!" said Asriel as they watched the meteor shower. Frisk smiled from where he sat next to him.

"Oh! They're glorious!" said Toriel as beautiful meteors streaked through the skies above.

"Wowie! I didn't know the surface had things like this!" said Papyrus. Sans grinned.

"Yeah, it's gonna be pretty amazing."

Frisk had used his newly restored magic to make a fire, and even made a heavy iron cauldron on a tripod appear over it. The supper was a wonderful stew, and Undyne wondered if she should be taking lessons from Frisk instead. Of course, she would never admit that to anyone, and anyone who suggested it would end up looking like bruised Swiss cheese. Alphys was snuggled against Undyne's side, Papyrus and Sans were laying side-by-side, watching the meteors, and Frisk, Asriel, Toriel, and Asgore were all sitting together, watching the beautiful shooting stars.

"Frisk?" Asriel asked.

"Hmm?" Asriel seemed a bit hesitant.

"Will you . . . will you be my brother?" Frisk stared at him, shocked. He looked down, fighting tears.

"Asriel . . ." Toriel and Asgore watched, silent, but hoping. Frisk sniffed a bit and smiled.

"You really want an old fogy like me as a brother?" Asriel giggled and hugged him.

"You're the best brother I could wish for." Frisk smiled and hugged him back, feeling Asgore and Toriel embrace them both.

"And a wonderful son," said Toriel. Asgore hummed his agreement. They looked up just as a huge meteor streaked across the sky.

"Wow!" exclaimed Asriel. Frisk smiled.

"Did you make a wish?" Asriel shook his head.

"Nah." Frisk raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Why?" Asriel snuggled his big brother.

"Because it already came true." Frisk smiled, a few tears in his eyes.

"The same here," he said as Toriel and Asgore hugged their sons and watched the heavens.

 **The End**

 **Author's note:** So, we come at last to the True Pacifist Ending, and the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed this.

Read, Review and keep Kindness in your hearts.


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